South Guadalcanal Constituency Opens Hardware shop
The South Guadalcanal Constituency (SGC) office officially opened its hardware and trade shop at Tandai in West Honiara yesterday (5th May 2022).
This marks an important milestone in the history of the South Guadalcanal Constituency and its people.
The new Hardware and Trade shop
After 30 years, SGC now has a ship and a hardware store which will be managed under the South Guadalcanal Corporate Services Company Limited (SGCSCL).
The SGCSCL is the business arm of the SGC. However, the MP is not part of the SGCSCL, but acts as an advisor when need be.
Cutting of the Ribbon to officially opened the new shop
Speaking during the event, Member of Parliament for South Guadalcanal Constituency, Hon Rollen Seleso said the initiative is part of the South Guadalcanal Development Plan 2019 to 2023.
“The South Guadalcanal Corporate Services Company Limited, was born out of the constituency development plan. It is our dream to have a business arm that is owned by our people and operates for the benefit of our people. Today (5th May 2022) we are here to celebrate a humble initiative of South Guadalcanal Constituency, the opening of the South Guadalcanal Corporate Services Company Limited hardware and general trade shop,” Mr Seleso said.
Hon Rollen Seleso speaking during the opening
Speaking as the Guest Speaker, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration, Riley Mesepitu stated that SGCSCL is a successful story when the country is being hit hard by COVID-19 and economic hardships since 2020.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration, Riley Mesepitu
He emphasised that Hon Seleso has set a model for other constituencies on Guadalcanal or in the country to follow suit, especially in connecting the constituents to economic development.
He also thanked the Member for the vision for his Constituency as a first comer into politics.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary Acting for the Ministry of Rural Development Hugo Hebala also congratulated the South Guadalcanal Constituency for the successful launch of the hardware.
Permanent Secretary Acting for the Ministry of Rural Development Hugo Hebala
He said that establishing and running a business in the Solomon Islands is not easy.
“Challenges linked to the regulatory environment, high costs of utilities, lack of access to capital, lack of access to free business training remained.
Equally important COVID-19 pandemic and the November unrest further affected most small-medium enterprises.
South Guadalcanal Corporate Services Company is no exception to these challenges,” he said.
By Simon Tavake