As the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, through its Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme (PGSP), continues to serialize the number of projects delivered by the nine provincial governments since 2008/9 - 2017/18, the focus this week is on Central Islands Province. Table 1 below indicates that CIP have so far delivered about 274 projects, with 4 of them ongoing. About 180 of the total are water sector projects that provide water to needy communities as a response to community needs.

These are communities where water had been scarce for so many years and support never came to them to relieve water scarcity until when the proposals from various communities were responded to by the Provincial Planning and Development Committee of CIP, the Ward Development Committees of respective wards and the provincial executive. Water, which used to be a huge problem for the 11 communities of Losiolen, Toa, Banika, Lavukal, Pavuvu, Nukufero, Savo, Pokilo, Haroro, Bola and Sisiaka for so many years has now become a thing of the past through an investment of just SBD1.9m. These life changing projects is benefiting 6, 448 and 6, 820 female and male population respectively in the communities mentioned above. And, above all, it has given the assurance for adequate water supply to the respective communities on long a term basis despite being positioned in low lying areas, where water is a rare commodity.

Whoever is familiar with the CIP provincial headquarter before 2008 would see a massive difference in 2016/17 when the new headquarter was handed over to the province by the MPGIS. The PCDF contribution to the project was instrumental in seeing the project through and later funded through SIG funds delivered by the MPGIS. The province has the most modern office complex.

The investment in six new schools including a sixth form block in Siota including renovations carried out in four other schools have had immense impact on access to education and increased enrolment in Central Islands. The completion of a dormitory for girls at Gelailau Community High School has relieved accommodation difficulties that female students had faced in the past. The sixth form has brought form six education closer to the communities who do not have to struggle anymore to search for guardians in Honiara or other far places where they do not have relatives. We could see that before the completion of PCDF funded two classroom-block at Halavo, many of the students who completed form 2 could not continue their education, according to the headmaster of the school, because of the difficulties they used to encounter in securing guardians in other places of higher education from form 3 onwards. The project provided space for about 80 students who may continue to form 3 and there are hopes that forms 4 and 5 may soon be available, which may help students to continue instead of dropping out.

The sectors of health and education comprise of 20 projects at a total cost SBD5, 112, 674 constituting 31% of the total funds and SBD6.6m including ongoing projects of health and education about 34% of the total.

Whilst looking at the social sectors, the Central Province also invested a lot of its PCDF resources into activities that promote local economic activities and in infrastructures that connect communities and people to commercial centres and clinics. The report shows that almost SBD2m was spent on foot walk bridges at Ravu, Toa/Vuturua, Tiba, Burengia, Subamoru and Painia that have relieved transportation difficulties and eased access to farms, community events, gardens etc.

As the Ministry and its PGSP continue with building capacities of provinces in Public Financial Management, PEM and good governance, more projects are expected to be delivered in Central Province, which would surely bring meaningful changes to the lives of the people in the province. The province is determined to deliver infrastructures that provide platform to anchor service delivery by various sectors operating at provincial and community levels. The recent efforts by the project board and the MPGIS to recruit nine civil engineers/architects and quantity surveyors is a clear manifestation of the Ministry’s efforts to support provinces not only to deliver more solid projects but also to ensure acceptable quality. The planning divisions will be further strengthened and the presence (and support) of the Provincial Capacity Development Advisors is giving more assurances of continued improvements.

For further details of projects, see table 2 (excel sheet). In case you wish to see some of the projects mentioned herein and how they are being utilised by the beneficiaries plus some of the challenges they may be facing, the planning division of CIP could be contacted. And stay-tuned for more PCDF projects to come following CIP publication!!!