By Loretta B Manele

Informal settlements is one issue that government needs to address through the Greater Honiara Development Concept together with the house of chiefs, landowners and settlers.

Francis Sade, minister for Public Service voiced this when contributing to the Sine Die Motion in parliament last month.

He stressed that one of the challenges in his constituency is having so many informal settlements.

“I would like to ask the government for us to work together through the Greater Honiara Development Concept for us to see how we can address this by working together with the house of chiefs, landowners and settlers.”

He said by working together, they can continue to try and improve these settlements by bringing them necessary services like water, road and other important services they are entitled to.

In relation, Sade appealed to the minister for lands to continue consultations with the house of chiefs, landowners, provinces and with him as well so as to see how they can support each other to progress this development concept that they want to implement.

He also pointed out that infrastructure development in communities around Honiara are really bad as services like electricity, water and roads are lacking.

“I want us to recognize the need of our people. People who come and settle or who are in these settlements come here because Honiara is our national economic centre.”

Sade highlighted that problem is when people came in, government did not prepare for them.

He emphasised that these are issues and opportunities for them to address as they move forward.