Acting PM Tovosia calls on HCC to rise up to City challenges

Acting Prime Minister Hon. Bradley Tovosia is urging the Honiara City Council to rise up to the challenges facing the council through innovation and dedicated leadership.

Speaking at a recent Independence Anniversary reception hosted by the City Lord Mayor, Hon. Tovosia highlighted that Honiara city is facing immense challenges in terms of service delivery, as a result of the fastest growing population it serves every year.

According Tovosia, the population of Honiara City in 2019 was 129, 569 people. This is an increase from 64,609 in 2009, meaning the population has doubled over a period of 10 years.

The population growth rate for Honiara City is 5.6 %, which is above the national average of 2.6%, meaning Honiara City is the most densely populated area in the Solomon Islands with 5, 916 people per square kilometer.

“I am sharing these figures so that you know the challenges that lies ahead in terms of the Council delivering on its functions as provided for under the Honiara City Act,” he said.

Tovosia pledged that the Government for National Unity and Transformation will work closely with the Council in serving its people but urges the Council to deliver on its functions that are mandated by law.

“I challenge each one of you to discharge these functions. You are elected officials and the people will look to you for delivery of services, especially services that falls under your jurisdiction,” he added.

The Acting Prime Minister further asked the Council to remain innovative in terms of its revenue collection in order to sustain its service delivery programmes.

He said the HCC Act provides for ways the Council can raise its revenue that can sustain itself and deliver its functions if all avenues for revenue collection is utilized.

“The government too can assist the City Council but the Council must take full ownership of its functions. In the past, it was easy because the population of Honiara was small. Now it is very challenging, but it is a challenge that you have chosen to rise up to,” he said.

Tovosia said Honiara city hosts the majority of businesses investments in the country that pay taxes and it is important that the Council leadership and its residents take care and ownership of the city.

He said events such as the 2021 riots must not be allowed again to scare away investors.

“We are trying to attract investors to invest in our country so that we broaden our economic base, but such behavior by our people will only chase investors away. I trust that you will speak with our people about the importance of uniting to transform our city and country,” Tovosia said.

ENDS///