WHY BEMOBILE? Digicel lelebet!

Dear Editor,

 After seeing a lot of views being shared in the media regarding the issue surrounding the right to provide mobile telephone services to Bemobile instead of Digicel by the Telecommunication Evaluation Committee (TEC), it became obvious that the decision was one that does not go down well with many Solomon Islanders, hence I too would like to share my views on the issue.

If I can recall correctly, the main reasons leading to the demand to open up the telecommunication market was three-fold. Firstly there was this issue of unreliable telecommunication services, especially with mobile telephone services and mainly mobile network congestions and so forth. Secondly there was this issue of cost, where the service provided was so costly and expensive that user talk time in Solomon Islands becomes relatively one of the most expensive in the world. The third issue was regarding the issue of accessibility to mobile telephone services, as the service was centralized only within urban areas, leaving out the rest of population residing in the rural areas. In Solomon Islands most people live in the rural areas and it is at the rural areas that the real economic base of Solomon Islands lies. Hence, there was this realization and recognition that the mobile telephone service must also be extended to the rural areas. 

So due to those three major issues, the ordinary people of Solomon Islands demanded a change of legislation so that another service provider is allowed to compete with the existing provider, which is none other than Our Telekom. The Telecommunication Act was consequently reviewed after some negotiations between the government and Out Telekom and the ordinary people were able to contribute their views in the process. During that time, an interested investor, Digicel was also very much involved in the process, even presenting as a party in the parliamentary review of the Telecommunication Act hence demonstrating its seriousness and genuine intention to invest in the telecommunication sector (mobile) in Solomon Islands. It even set up office in Honiara and went out on its own survey missions to identify best sites to set up mobile telephone infrastructure, equipment and facilities. Its commitment to invest in Solomon Islands therefore was unquestionable and unwavering regardless of the hostile environment it had found itself in, exacerbated by Solomon Telekom's tense dislike to free up the market. A brief look through the Bills and Legislations Committee's Hansard reports of the review will confirm this situation.

Consequently the Telecommunication Act was amended by Parliament and therefore a call for submission by tenderers was made. From what I gathered, and I stand to be corrected on this, only three companies responded, and out of the three only Bemobile and Digicel made genuine submissions. The TEC comprising all prominent Solomon Islanders, with the guidance and advice of the government-hired legal counsel from New York and elsewhere assessed the submissions and made their decision and as we all know the bid to provide mobile telephone service in Solomon Islands was won by Bemobile, a company that is based in Papua New Guinea.

 Bemobile, from my knowledge, which is subject for correction, has been based in Papua New Guinea for some time now and when it first came into operation in Papua New Guinea, its products were sold under PNG Telikom. In fact, some facts even show that Bemobile is a remake of B-mobile a defunct division of Telikom PNG. When its shares were sold, Telikom retained 50% while the other shares were divided among NASFUND (5%), Nambawan Super (5%), and the US-based Trilogy International Partners LLC (20%) and GEMS Ltd (20%). When this deal was announced in 2008 the PNG State Minister then described it as a "historic milestone for PNG's telecommunication industry" and indeed it was. But is the decision to have Bemobile instead of Digicel to provide mobile services in Solomon Islands also a milestone in Solomon Islands telecommunication services industry, especially for ordinary mobile service users?

Well the answer depends on how you look at it. However, looking back at the three main reasons as to why there was the need to open up the market, I strongly believe that it will never be the case at all for Solomon Islanders. The keywords in the whole equation are efficiency and reliability, two things that Bemobile has never been close to achieving in Papua New Guinea. As far as mobile service user's are concerned Bemobile has never made any great impacts in PNG's mobile services since its establishment. It has been described as highly ineffective providing a service that is expensive but very unreliable. On the other hand, no one can say those same sentiments about Digicel since it has entered PNG Telecommunication industry. All comments and feedbacks about Digicel have been very positive and encouraging. In addition, Digicel has wide experience in the industry, having operated in many other countries around the world hence its proven track record of success around the world. Bemobile is untested even around the region and its only hope is to bank on the experience of its Trilogy partners who are providing mobile services in New Zealand as 2 Degrees. However, even 2 Degrees remains greatly unpopular in New Zealand as it cannot compete with the might of other service providers such as Vodafone and Telstra. Having subscribed to their service myself at one point I have found it very costly and their promotion tactics misleading. I only used their service for a week to realise that I had made a wrong choice and had to switch back to Vodafone which is much more affordable and reliable.

The odds in the tender process in Solomon Islands therefore, taking into account the three basic issues mentioned earlier which gave rise to the need for an open telecommunication market were against Bemobile. Digicel was the stronger competitor and there was no logical reason that its bid was going to be turned down. As it turned out these odds were defied and the result was totally the other way round. The question now is, why did the TEC came up with the decision it made?

The Prime Minister made a public statement and emphasized that they (TEC and the legal counsel) had made careful assessment of the bids and based on their specified criteria selected Bemobile instead of Digicel. From his statement it was obvious that the decision swayed greatly from the original issues that needs addressing, namely efficiency and reliability, affordability and accessibility. These were the original concerns raised by ordinary Solomon Islanders which resulted in the review of the Telecommunication Act. I am sure you do not have to seek legal counsel from US-based experts to have a complete picture of the situation. These are people from developed countries who do not experience the everyday frustrations of ordinary Solomon Islanders in relation to the high cost of mobile services as well as its inefficiency and unreliability. Moreover, who would guess the independence of the US-based legal counsel when Bemobile is partly owned by two US-based Telecommunication companies?

Hence, in all regards, while I will not question the wisdom of TEC in regards to the decision it has made, I for one sees the decision to engage Bemobile as a highly economical and political one between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea governments. It was a decision highly influenced by the economical situation of both countries (due to the global economic crisis and the ailing economic state of especially SIG) and the bilateral relations of the two countries (through MSG) both politically and economically. 

This was clearly highlighted in the Prime Minister's statement when mentioned that Bemobile was willing to provide around SBD$10 million (or some money amounting around that) as a show of their genuine intention to invest in Solomon Islands. I find this as a very lame excuse because Digicel has shown its intension to invest in Solomon Islands and has already been pouring money into the economy long before the million dollar guarantee was made by the untested and little-known Bemobile. Even the name itself, Bemobile, is not market-friendly in Solomon Islands as it can be used to mean various things that are insensitive to our normal day to day language (pidgin).

On the perspective of the TEC, definitely Bemobile will be the best competitor for Our Telekom because it is weak compared to the mighty Digicel. Hence, Our Telekom will be able to stay in the market and may be increase its revenue base which is good for Solomon Islands economy. As we all know SINPF is the biggest shareholder of Our Telekom and SIG owns SINPF. Thus an increase in the earning of Our Telekom will be a direct bonus to SIG. On the other hand PNG Government will also benefit because Telikom PNG, which is partly owned by the PNG Government will also expand its revenue base. This is a very simplistic view of the situation but the list of trickle-down effects of the economic returns of the deal can go on.

The biggest concern however will remain that the ordinary people of Solomon Islands will be the biggest immediate losers of the deal. While Bemobile has made many mouth-watering promises, from the PNG experience I am quite certain that there will still be limited competition and therefore mobile services in Solomon Islands will remain highly ineffective and unreliable, unaffordable and inaccessible. Until another service provider like Digicel enters the market this situation will still remain unchanged.

Above all, while I will refrain from questioning the wisdom of the TEC in reaching their decision, I wish to reiterate that it was a decision made based on reasons that swayed greatly from the original issues that have contributed to the need to open up the telecommunication industry of Solomon Islands. I may be tempted to say that it is a bit selfish of them to sway away from the original cries of ordinary Solomon Islanders, but I am also mindful that the real economic returns of such a deal are yet to be fully realized. However, it is undeniable that the decision will have no positive effect on the mobile telecommunication services in Solomon Islands unless another strong competitor is allowed to enter the market.

 

SIFF Lost $800,000 in fire

Hello again good wantoks,

The recent news that SIFF has lost $800,000 cash in the fire that burnt down their office is stunning. Why do they have to keep  such as amount of mony lying aroung in the office like that? Don't they trust the banks anymore? I think they should be held accoutable for the money because fire or no fire, such huge amount of money should not be lying around in cash like that in the office.
I think the decision by the SIFF management to have such money, especially when it is in cash, lying around in the office is totally irresponsible and unjustifiable. No wonder that they have been accused for misappropriation of funds by critics; it is because they don't use the banks. This is a very naive way of doing business.

The incident made me to suspect something totally different, that they have used the fire that has burnt down the office as cover for monies they have or are intending to misappropriate. It would be very difficult to prove things to the contrary of the money being burnt away by the fire. However, I still believe that an inquiry should be undertaken on the whole issue, including the burning of the office and the loss of assets, the management ill-decision-making and so forth.

SIFF is a national office and the people of Solomon Islands to knows answers, not questions hanging in the air. Mi really doubtem that hem true that selen ia hem burnt lo fire ia. SIFF must come out clear and explainin lo people

Go Solo Go...

Hello again wantoks,
Just wanted to register that we have once again made world history last night at Dubai when our Bilikiki boys defeated the mighty Uruguay. Barava ova nice nao. Uruguay is rated as one of the strongest teams of the tournament, but our boys have proven that nothing is impossible.
We do hope that their game tonight, against the hosts, also a very competitive and well organised side, will also be a good one for them. If they win the next game then definitely they will be able to proceed to the quarter-finals, which is their ultimate goal for the tournament.
Please keep on praying that our boys will be able to shine again for our nation at the highest level of global sports.
All the best BILIKIKI....Go Solo Go!!!

Youth Parliament in Solomon Islands - Is it worthy?

Dear Friends,
 Hello again! As you all know that National Parliament of Solomon Islands has recently convened the National Youth Parliament Program which coincided with the National Parliament Open Day. These are both very huge undertakings and to have them all in one go is indeed commendable achievement. Hence, first of all I would like to applaud the Speaker, Clerks and the hardworking staff of Parliament for successfully hosting the Youth Parliament Program and the Parliament Open Day all in a single week. You deserve all praise and commendation.


 Having said that, I do understand that there are people out there who do not subscribe to this line of thinking hence their open criticisms of the Parliamentary Youth Program. And while I do appreciate that everybody has a right and freedom of speech to voice out their views on issues, personally I was overly flabbergasted by some of the writers' blatant and ferocious attacks on program, making it to seem as if it was a total waste of money and resources and that nothing good will ever come from it. Some even stated that this is the first ever youth parliament they have heard of to have youths sitting in the seats of elected MP's on the floor of Parliament to openly debate political issues. Others went to the extent of questioning the 'cognitive ability' of the participants, labeling them as 'kids' and asserting that their level of understanding is still inadequate to fully grasp and digest issues of policy, governance and politics. But in all the arguments in opposition to the Youth Parliament Program it was obvious that the main line of argument was that the program was a 'nuisance', 'insane', 'irrelevant' and a waste of money that could have been used for better things such as economic development activities and for the provision basic essential services.

To me I think these are very superficial arguments that somehow have painted a very negative picture on the Youth Parliament Program. These criticisms have made it to seem as if that because of the Youth Parliament Program, all other sectors of the economy have been deprived of something valuable, whether it be money or an opportunity to learn and that we should not engage in new initiatives but to stick to our conventional ways of doing things, that 'old usual stuff' since 1978. Obviously personally I think these critics do not have a vision for our youths as future leaders, and they have failed to acknowledge and realise the important role and responsibility that Parliament has as an Institution to reach out to its people.

 The concept of Youth Parliament is common throughout the Commonwealth countries where youths are regarded as important cornerstone of society. In Solomon Islands youths make up the majority of our population, hence proving to be a very important part of our society. For this reason active youth participation and engagement is crucial for nation building. Our youths, therefore, must be allowed to actively engage and participate on issues of policy, governance and political debate at an early stage in life. Youths are like clay in the system. To come out with a desired end product of value, the potter has to mould the clay accordingly. And when youths are properly trained and moulded to become better citizens, they are like sparks that need no ignition. As the late US Senator, Robert Kennedy stated: "This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease."

Hence, in Solomon Islands, if they are continuously ignored and suppressed, our youths are like a time bomb waiting to be ignited. One does not have to go back long into history to see how susceptible but precarious our youths are if they are engaged to achieve bitter ends. The concept of Youth Parliament therefore is to give young people the opportunity to have their views heard by key decision-makers and the general public and also to help them to fully realise their own potentials and hence their very important role in the society. It is a very effective way of raising the self-esteem of youths and empowering their participation in the democratic process. In relation to policy and governance the concept will help young people to understand and actively participate in parliamentary processes; to learn how to influence governmental decision-making as active citizens and to highlight the importance of helping young people to understand how decisions are made and how young people can be involved in influencing their worlds. Through the participation of the 50 Youth Parliamentary Representatives all our youths throughout the country can realise that they are being recognised as an important part of nation-building in Solomon Islands.

But there is even more to the Youth Parliament than that. It is an opportunity to learn a little more than many people know, about the distribution and the exercise of power. A vast number of people in Solomon Islands know little or nothing at all about how power is distributed and how our governance system operates. Many of the problems we face today in governance and politics are mainly due to our lack of - or mis-understanding of how the system works. For a better future, it is essential that we have a young generation now that better understands their political system and fully realises their place in the society so that they can participate and engage fully in it. It is important that our young people gains a deepening understanding of parliamentary democracy so that they do not hold misconstrued conceptions of it. By gaining such as a knowledge they can be able to uphold and advance its practices when it's their turn to lead the country, whether as politicians or as community leaders. After all, real power belongs to the people and as prescribed by the Constitution. But how can people responsibly exercise this power if they are ill-informed or are unaware of issues surrounding them? One may argue that that can be learned at school through the normal Secondary School Syllabus. But the reality is that there is no better place and way of learning about the system and how it works than being at Parliament itself and engaging in programs such as the Youth Parliament.

Furthermore, Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations Organisation and therefore is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a nation Solomon Islands is required to honour the commitments it has made in signing the Convention. Articles 12 and 13 of the Convention emphasises on the need to uphold the right of young people to have a say - to have the opportunity to express their views - on matters that affect them, and the convening of a Youth Parliament is a means of realising an important dimension of those Articles of the Convention.
 Financially, the above factors are all very important and immeasurable achievements that no money can buy. The critics have argued that consideration should be given to our ailing economy and the fact that we are the poorest country in the Pacific, and therefore in the world. Some argued that instead of using the money for Youth Parliament it should be channelled through the normal processes to encourage youth participation in rural economic development. However, I think this kind of analyses lacks forward thinking. How can you possibly develop a nation of peoples that lack proper and adequate knowledge on government and policy? Off course we are poor, thus educating our young people about politics and how they can fully engage in governance and policy debate is one way of alleviating poverty. We must understand that poverty alleviation and economic development is not only about tangible or 'hard' infrastructure. It is also about 'soft' infrastructure which concerns sound policies and empowering our mental capabilities to make rational decisions. We can spend all the money we have to encourage the youth to utilize their coconut plantation, cocoa plantations, fisheries, carpentry, sewing but how could you guarantee them a good future if they are ill-informed about issues that are affecting them? And not all of them will be farmers, or fishermen, carpenters or tailors. Some of them will be required to be leaders in their communities, in their provinces or states, or even at the national and international levels, and having proper understanding of governance and policies issues will be crucial.


 As I have mentioned earlier, the concept of Youth Parliament is widely practiced throughout the world. Fiji had a very successful Youth Parliament Program until the army took over the government. They even have an Alumnus according to which the program is run. In Tonga, its Youth Parliament Program was started in 2003 after a national survey indicated that the many people were not turning out to vote at elections times. The Youth Parliament therefore was designed to run as an outreach program "to enable all the youths of Tonga to be more involved and take positive actions in decision making and development of the Nation". The process was run exactly as the system of the National Parliament of Tonga where youths are engaged in debates on matters affecting them. The result of the program was overwhelming as it raised the profile of youths and parliament and contributed to more awareness of the governance system of Tonga. Hence, voter turnout increased as people become more informed of the importance of political participation.

In Zealand, Youth Parliament has been held every three to four years since 1994. For the Program, young people from around New Zealand are chosen by their local MP to be a Youth MP. During Youth Parliament Youth MPs have the opportunity to debate a mock Bill, engage in general debate, sit on Select Committees and ask parliamentary questions of Cabinet Ministers. The New Zealand Youth Parliament Program is made to be as real as possible. Government personnel and procedures are maintained throughout the whole program.

Similar programs are also run throughout all the Parliaments of the States of Australia, in Pakisatan, India, Scotland and even England, from whom our Westminster system was adopted. In all these practical cases, the results have been universal being that it is a very important opportunity to inculcate in youths with the values and spirit of democracy, the importance of dialogue, tolerance for others views, an understanding of the concept of Parliament and its role in democratic decision-making and oversight.

Apart from having youth parliaments in individual jurisdictions, Youth Parliaments are also held at regional levels. For instance the third Pan-Commonwealth Youth Parliament took place in Brisbane, Queensland from 19-23 April 2005 and over 70 delegates nominated by Legislatures across the Commonwealth took part in the event.  Sixty per cent of delegates were from developing countries. In convening the event the Speaker of the Acting Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, Hon. Jim Fouras MP, who was the Speaker of the Youth Parliament Program stated that: "The event will facilitate young people from all around the world being able to learn about and engage in the democratic process. I hope that it will also create an awareness of issues affecting youth around the world". There is also the European Youth Parliament (EYP) Program which was founded in 1987. The EYP encourages independent thinking and socio-political initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since its inauguration, many tens of thousands of young people have taken part in regional, national and international sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond frontiers. It has thus made a vital contribution towards the uniting of Europe. Today the EYP is one of the largest European platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe.

Looking at the above issues and factors, I strongly believe that the Solomon Islands Youth Parliament is far from being a 'nuisance', 'insane', or 'irrelevant'. It is a commonly practiced concept that is new to Solomon Island but one that can be very beneficial to our youths and Solomon Islands as a whole. I therefore 'rubbish' all the criticisms that have been made against it.

Youth Parliament commences in Solomon Islands

Dear Readers,

The National Parliament of Solomon Islands has finally hosted the Solomon Islands Youth Parliament. The event, indeed again marks another milestone in the path of parliamentary development and strenghtening in Solomon Islands and the leaders and staff of National Parliament, all donor partners and CNURA government should be applauded and congratulated for an overwhelming task and accomplishment.

From what I collected through the grape-vine there are 50 parliamentarians representing the various provinces of Solomon Islands. I believe all the provinces are well represented both numeratically and in relation to the debates in the House.

This first youth parliament is a great achievement. The task now is for us to built on the experience and work towards better things in the future.

GOD BLESS SOLOMON ISLANDS..