Blues note to Solomons

council swansong

From a Honiara correspondent The last meeting, in April, of the Solomon Islands’ Governing Council before the general elections in May and June ended on something of a blue note.

Quite obvious was the unhappy ac ceptance by members of the loss after two years and nine months, come July, of the Financial Secretary. John Smith, who has been appointed Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Mr Smith himself has not looked overjoyed at his elevation in the middle of the execution of the Sixth Development Plan, and the early stages of putting together the Seventh Development Plan the “People’s Plan” as it has already be come known, because of consultation down to local government and even village level. (The 6DP will end in 1974, and be followed immediately by the 7DP.) The Chief Secretary, Mr Tom Russell, had recalled how in 1970 when Mr Smith spoke in Govco he held in his hand a glass half full of water and talked about attitudes— Mr Smith at the time said members should see the glass as development and progress, and look upon the glass as half full rather than half empty.

“Although John Smith has not succeeded in filling the glass nor in turning the water to wine, he has done a lot to show people here how to make the Solomon Islands viable,”

Mr Russell said.

The Kakamora Reporter, the Solo mons’ only journal of comment and opinion, and usually a critic of government, says of Smith: “(He) has been a breath of fresh air in administration to the present genera tion of Solomon Islander ... he has shown that government need not be something that mysteriously must be hidden from the people being governed. . . . He has done a lot to dispel the typical Solomon Islander’s view of the gavman who comes ashore with the big stick, to be carried with awe and trembling by the ‘natives’ above the breaking surf so that his white stockinged delicate feet hurt not against the stones and be wet.

We are rather dismayed at Mr Smith leaving us at this time”.

Much of the debate in this final meeting of Govco was taken up with the second annual review of the 6DP (1971-1974). The review itself written by the Government’s planning unit originally set up by Smith, set out

plainly the successes and failures of the plan so far.

“To date conspicuous and en couraging progress towards objectives has been achieved in fisheries, oil palms, cattle, new planting of coco nuts, roads and malaria eradication,” the review said.

“Disappointing or no progress has been made in reduction of the budgetary deficit, in copra and timber production, coconut re-planting and rehabilitation, marketing, high level manpower output, rationalisation of shipping and trade, development of local government, and urban housing for the lower income groups. Prin cipal set-backs have been high in flation, depression in the copra and timber markets, and destruction of valuable crops by cyclones.”

All projects in the plan are now due to finish by the end of 1974.

The review said that planning was going ahead to establish a Solomon Islands currency and among other projects noted was the complete restructuring of the civil service to reduce administrative overheads. This is already shaking out expatriate civil servants, who are considered ex pendable or hold positions able to be localised more rapidly than has been planned. A number have already been given notice, asked to resign or are not having their two-year con tracts renewed. Pressure is being put on private enterprise, especially shops, to localise, using refusals for work permits for expatriate wives as a lever.

Debate on the review was lengthy, varied and strongly laced with parochial issues as might be expected with a plan which reaches down to village level and in debate just before a general election.

There were two major pieces of legislation brought up—a National Provident Fund bill, and one cover ing Wills and Probate, which was postponed. The Provident Fund bill was passed, allowing the government to start taking equal contributions of 5 per cent of wages from all em ployees and employers to provide retirement, permanent disability or death benefits to Solomon Islander employees particularly. It will begin in about two years time, and provide investment funds for government to ensure the financing of Solomon Islands participation in large new commercial enterprises. Contributions would amount to between $300,000 and $400,000 the first year.