Mamaloni hits

out at comments

AUSTRALIAN aided Solomon Islands Forests Project has been a failure and is losing investor confi dence, the island’s Opposition leader Solomon Mamaloni claimed in a statement. Mamaloni said 14 years after the project started with Austra lian International Development Agency Bureau assistance, it has yet to yield any fruitful data as was initially intended.

He said the Australian consultants hired to complete the project have exceeded their job descriptions and indulged in the island’s internal affairs. Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating also came under fire from Mamaloni who said Keating was preaching to the SIG project person nel and Solomon Islanders about the proper management of their resources when the first Australian Consultants inventory report on the island’s forests contained many errors and had to be withdrawn from circulation.

Mamaloni said the view held by Australia was that the Solomons was still an Australian colony hence their

“imperialist and paternalistic atti

tude”.

“Instead of listening to lies about over exploitation of our natural re sources I, on behalf of the government and people of Solomon Islands, cordi ally invite all Forum leaders to come and see for themselves, or, send their government officials to Solomon Islands to observe the legal instru ments and procedures which the Solomon Islands government apply to the control and use of this country’s natural resources.

“There is no other better way to disprove what Mr Keating and Mr Billy Hilly have been saying about Solomon Islands natural resources than for the Forum leaders, including Mr Keating or their officials, to come to the Solomons to see for themselves.” □