BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
MINISTER of Mines and Energy and Rural Electrification and Member of Parliament for South East Guadalcanal, Honourable Bradley Tovosia has termed the Tina Hydro Development Project as a privilege for the people of Central Guadalcanal.
In his official remarks to mark the official partnership signing of the 4-year multi-million dollar Tina Hydro Development Project in Honiara, Honourable Tovosia said people of Malango – Central Guadalcanal are privileged to benefit from the Tina Hydro Project.
“My good people from Tina and surrounding communities, count yourself as the most privileged in the Solomon Islands as this infrastructure will be amongst the first of the many that will come because of the Tina Hydro Project.
“Treat Tina Project as an ‘Asset’ of the community and Constituency.
“To the chiefs, local leaders and local communities around Malango and Bahomae who will one way or the other benefit to this project please be, visionary, organized, reasonable, appreciative and supportive to your leaders, both in parliament and provincial to better harness the productive benefits of the project.
“The Government has always reiterated the principle of equal partnership with the communities on the Tina project. This official signing of the collaborative agreement marks the delivery of the benefit of such a great partnership. The Tina project communities can be a model in paving the way for more similar partnerships around the country in the future,” Honourable Bradley Tovosia told attendees of the event.
Benefits for the Project are many and include alleviating pressure on household incomes and providing opportunities for improved government services, private sector development, and entrepreneurship. It will also promote both economic and social benefits for the Solomon Islands, and provide stimulus through new construction activity, which will rely on local firm inputs and local labor, therefore contributing to the post-COVID-19 recovery phase in the Solomon Islands.
The Minister of Mines and Energy and Rural Electrification the Government has always reiterated the principle of equal partnership with communities on the Tina Project.
“The Tina Project Communities can be a model in paving the way for more of similar partnership around the country in the future.
“Through this partnership between Community Based Share Project (CBSP) and Solomon Island Electricity Authority (Trading as Solomon Power), the Government will again be enabled to bear witness to another infrastructure project for the people of Malango-central Guadalcanal,” Honourable Tovosia said.
He later acknowledged the development partners for providing the necessary technical support during strategizing phases and for the local staff during the designing stages of the electricity access strategy for the Malango Community.
“In all this excitement is my appreciation of challenges encountered during the negotiations and dialogue around electricity access for the communities and so much so on the outstanding mutual corporation from all stakeholders(locally, domestically, and internally) during these trying moments.
“I also wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of the National Government and development partners, for the united and strong-spirited into guiding the various dialogue towards achieving this milestone.
“To my hard-working Ministry and Tina hydro Project Office (both locally and internationally) who strategically negotiated and plan out the next step for this project. I do wholeheartedly salute you all. Thank you very much for your hard work,’’ the Minister said.
Tina River is Solomon Islands’ first large-scale infrastructure project to be developed under a public-private partnership.
