More assistance from the United Kingdom towards the development and governance of the Western province has been assured.
This includes technical support to build the capacity of the provincial assembly.
This follows a successful and fruitful meeting between the new High Commissioner of UK, HE Paul Turner and Western premier Billy Veo earlier this week.
The Western province has been benefiting heavily from the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project which this year enters its second phase with a lot of community projects lined up.
CAUSE is funded by the World Bank. And, the UK is one of the major donors of the Bank, providing more than USD $2.6 billion, making around 13 percent of the World Bank’s total funds.
Mr Turner underlined the UK’s continued support to the Western province through its funding of the World Bank CAUSE project, which has provided much needed improvements to the province’s urban roads, and upgraded market places.
Communities in Western province’s towns such as Gizo, Munda and Noro are now enjoying safer and convenient foot paths and Jacob’s ladder walkways, boosting access and connectivity thanks to the CAUSE Project.
Premier Veo deeply welcomed the UK’s assistances through the multilateral partnerships.
Veo also highlighted challenges with his government’s finances, and the need for greater coordination of the CDF with the provincial and ward projects.
HE Turner agreed to premier Veo’s sentiments saying, “While we are happy to see the new CDF Act of 2023 and increased decentralisation, there is still a long way to go in terms of empowering the provinces and giving them the means to respond to the needs of the local population.”
Turner offered UK’s help in technical support to build the capacity of the Western provincial assembly, which premier Veo welcomed.
Meanwhile, the second phase of CAUSE is underway after it was officially signed in November last year.
CAUSE has provided climate-resilient spot improvement work, waste collection and cleaning projects, and road construction in Gizo, constant clean-up and waste management in Noro, and infrastructure in Munda.
The CAUSE initiative has given employment to more than 8,000 people in the Solomon Islands, half being women and youth, since its inception in 2018.
