The Makira and Ulawa Provincial Premier, Thomas Weape, has described development in the Province since independence as stagnant.
Premier Weape said that even when the Province acquired full Provincial Government status following the passage of the 1981 Provincial Government Act, development in the Province continued to remain stagnant.Speaking to the local media at KiraKira on Wednesday he said has lacked the human resources to help his provincial government fulfill its plans.
According to the Premier, the Makira Provincial Government posts have been vacant for awhile and are need of filling.
As an example he said, the Province has not had a physical planning officer for a long time and with many other posts vacant in the Provincial Government the Province has been struggling with work load.
Poor infrastructure including poor housing and roads has been a concern of previous Provincial Governments.
Over time the Provincial Government has been seeking assistance from the National Government who was unable to allocate much needed funds for the province and according to the Premier, this has been an issue continuously raised by the Makira Government.
"We will continue to pressurize the National Government to allocate more money to develop the Province to address the needs of the people," he said.
Premier Weape has however said that the province has set up a team which has been carrying out a survey around Makira on areas suitable to build bridges. The National Government has given them assurance that bridges, roads and new houses will be built next year.
He said that the building of new the Bridges would help inaccessible villages to be able to travel to clinics and the Kira Kira hospital. The bridges will also expect to stimulate economic activities.
SOLOMONTIMES.COM WITH NATIONAL EXPRESS