Caption: 5th from left, Honourable Connelly Sandakabatu, Minister of Development Planning and Aid Coordination with senior MDPACofficials, Solomon Islands Peer Review Team and Forum Secretariat officials.
Honiara, Solomon Islands, 16 September 2013: The Solomon Islands Minister for Development Planning and Aid Coordination is looking forward to the recommendations of the Solomon Islands Peer Review currently underway in Honiara, from 10 to 20 September.
The Solomon Islands is the 11th country to volunteer for a Peer Review of its development planning, budgeting, public financial management and aid management processes, under the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination (Forum Compact).
Selected by the Solomon Islands Government, the Peer Review Team includes: Ruby Zarriga from Papua New Guinea; Oscar Malielegaoifrom Samoa; Collin Tavi from Vanuatu; and David Smith from UNESCAP Pacific Operations Centre. The Review Team is assisted by a support team from the Forum Secretariat.
In a meeting with the Solomon Islands Peer Review Team, the Minister of Development Planning and Aid Coordination, HonourableConnelly Sandakabatu said the outcome of the Review is much anticipated.
“I would like to stress the importance of the work that you are doing. We see its significance in how it will help Solomon Islands and other Forum Island Countries. I commend the way that Forum Island Countries are working together to help each other move forward and acknowledge the facilitating role of the Forum Secretariat.”
The Hon. Sandakabatu highlighted a number of challenges.
“We can have all the best systems in place but if we do not have the right level of skills or number of people and if people do not perform, then we cannot move forward”. He also highlighted that; “Infrastructure is critical to development. Given our geography and isolation issues, we cannot deliver services without roads, ships and airstrips.
The Minister shared his expectations of the Review.
“We don’t want a flowery report. Write a report that is succinct and truthful so that we can run with it,” he said.
The Peer Review will conclude on 20 September, 2013.
FORUM SECRETARIAT