The Solomon Islands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Hon. Manasseh Maelanga officially opened the 5th Premiers Conference and Trade Show on the provincial capital Taro, Choiseul Province this week.
Hon. Maelanga encouraged the Premiers to participate in policy dialogue with each other as well as the National Government.He stated that the NCRA government calls for the empowerment of the people of Solomon Islands by encouraging them to participate in local management decision making.
Mr Maelanga said the NCRA government places great significance on the role of provincial governments, and this makes the current government more aligned to the provincial government than any other past governments.
He announced that the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening was able to secure Cabinet approval of 24 million dollars as annual capital development funds for the provincial government for the 2012 development budget.
He said this amount is in addition to the existing five-point-eight million dollars that is allocated to the Provincial Capacity Development Funds by the government.
Mr Maelanga assured the provincial premiers that the government is fully aware of the gap between the real expenditure needs of the provincial governments and the current level of resources provided to them by the government.
The Premier's Conference and the Trade and Agriculture show will end of Friday.