East Makira Constituency Delivers $3.7m in Livelihood Projects

As of last week, constituency projects worth US$3.7 million have been delivered to communities and churches in the East Makira Constituency (EMC). This assistance is funded by the EMC's 2024 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation.

According to the 2023 CDF Act, the project supplies and equipment were delivered under four main categories. These categories include: productive sector, basic services, cross-cutting sector, and social and cultural sector.

Specifically, the productive sector received US$1,789,803 for the procurement of farming equipment and tools, as well as support for fisheries and agricultural projects. Basic services received US$752,873 for the provision of Starlink and solar equipment to 11 community high schools in EMC, as well as transportation (outboard motor) and tertiary education school fee assistance. The cross-cutting sector received US$461,232 for income-generating livelihood projects and support for women's association income-generating projects. The social and cultural sector received US$776,000 for hardware materials for 11 churches (CDF church grant) and funding support for church activities.

Hon. Derrick Vasi, Member of Parliament for East Makira Constituency, stated that this assistance is part of the EMC office's ongoing efforts and commitment to improving the livelihoods of rural communities, aiming to achieve constituency development plans through the CDF. This support is intended to promote development in the productive sector, particularly projects in the agriculture and fisheries sub-sectors, and to improve the lives of the people.

Hon. Vasi emphasized the importance of these projects in improving the lives of people in rural communities and ensuring the long-term development of the constituency. He also indicated that this is just the beginning of more and bigger assistance and initiatives to come.

The delay in project delivery was related to the government's delayed disbursement of CDF funds last year. Despite the challenges, the EMC office remains committed to ensuring that all necessary processes and procedures are followed in order to deliver supplies to the people of East Makira Constituency.

Hon. Vasi highlighted the importance of supporting churches in EMC, stating, "Churches are the foundation of peace and stability in our communities. Funding for these church projects comes from the government through the church grants from the Ministry of Traditional Governance and through the CDF from the Ministry of Rural Development." He urged beneficiaries to make good use of the assistance they received through the projects for their own benefit.

Under the new 2023 CDF Act, project beneficiaries are required to sign project issuance forms and beneficiary agreement forms. These documents are very important and will be used by the Ministry of Rural Development for project monitoring and accountability.

EMC Project Officer, Jonas Kuriou, accompanied the project delivery to ensure that all necessary documentation was completed during the distribution process. Hon. Vasi assured the people of EMC that more assistance will be provided once the 2025 CDF funds are available.

Hon. Vasi expressed his confidence in the support of the communities, constituents, and constituency officers, stating that he will continue to dedicate himself to supporting and advancing development initiatives to improve the well-being of the people of East Makira.

The project supplies and equipment were transported to Makira/Ulawa on Sunday, March 16th, by MV Ocean Joy. Hon. Vasi is currently in his constituency, engaging in discussions with community leaders, communities, and constituents regarding key development initiatives for the constituency's future.

Constituents and the public are encouraged to consult their respective constituency offices for more information on how their constituency office is implementing its Constituency Development Plan (CDP). The Constituency Development Plan is a national program of the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) administered by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD). The program is implemented in the country's 50 constituencies to improve the socio-economic lives of the people of Solomon Islands.