S.I.C.C.I SAID ‘NO’ TO INVOLVEMENT OF MPs IN P.E.C
Inside the National Parliament. Photo credit: National Parliament of Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry says ‘no’ to the involvement of MPs in the Parliamentary Entitlements Commission.
SICCI Chair Tony Koraua made the statement when he delivered the Chamber’s submission to the Constitutional Review Committee in a public hearing last Friday .
Mr. Koraua told the Committee the real issue for peoples complaints is on how Parliamentarians are involved in the making of their own entitlements within the Parliamentary Entitlements Commission.
Mr. Koraua also told the Committee the Chamber can understand why Finance Permanent Secretaries can be involved in the Commission but not why the Finance Minister is a member of the Commission.
He says the Chamber is totally against the involvement of MPs in the Parliamentary Entitlements Commission and this to ensure its independence.
“So in our view we can’t and we’re saying here that definitely no to the Finance Minister but it would look at including the ministry that will manage that and I think we can probably consider the Permanent Secretary who is the highest in the Finance Ministry.”