Opposition leader criticise gov'ts "Rural Development" phrase

The Leader of Opposition Fred Fono is calling on the government not to use "Rural development" as a catch word to lure political support.

He says "Rural Development" has been the focus of previous governments, with the construction of roads, bridges, wharves and rural shipping.

Mr Fono says previous governments have tried to improve rural Solomon Islands because they realised that the majority of the country's population and resources are in the provinces.

He says the current Government has no tangible project plans in their policy document frame work, nor have they indicated where rural projects will be located and established.

Mr Fono also warns that rural development in a scattered country like Solomon Islands is a very expensive exercise.

He says if real rural development is to be enhanced, the centralised bureaucratic system in Honiara should be dismantled and send qualified human resources to the provinces to take active part in the development of rural areas.

source: SIBC (http://www.sibconline.com.sb/main.asp)