BY INDY MAEALASIA

Premier of Choiseul Province, Harrison Pitakaka has suggested stronger provisions in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill 2024 to safeguard the interests of local populations and clarify the operational relationship between the SEZ authority and existing state-owned entities.

Speaking during a Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) session, Pitakaka emphasized the importance of prioritizing local and national citizens in the labor supply for SEZ projects.

He proposed that outsourcing labor from outside the country should only be permitted for highly specialized skills that cannot be sourced locally.

The Premier also raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding how the SEZ authority would interact with established state-owned authorities, such as the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA), Solomon Power and Solomon Water.

He stressed the need for provisions in the Act to define these relationships to avoid operational conflicts and ensure smooth collaboration.

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