BY NED GAGAHE
MEMBER of Parliament for Central Honiara, Gordon Darcy Lilo, has called on the government to review land ownership arrangements in the capital, warning that high-value land and property assets are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few entities.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday this week during the Sine Die Motion, he said while he welcomed investments in urban infrastructure and social services, land ownership in Honiara remains a major concern.
“I am quite pleased with what we are being given for infrastructure development and other amenities in the urban centres, including improvements in the health sector,” Lilo said.
He said the growing population in Honiara made it necessary for the government to pay closer attention to land issues in the capital.
“I would like to talk about land. Minister, take a look at land in Honiara. You will find that in many ways, land from Henderson to White River is in the hands of one or a few entities,” he said.
Lilo said Fixed Term Estates (FTEs) in Honiara were also largely controlled by a small number of interests, and urged the government to investigate the concentration of ownership of what he described as high-value national assets.
“Let us find out where the concentration of these high-value assets of our country is vested, and by whom. Minister, you will find it shocking,” he said.
Lilo said land and properties along the stretch from Henderson to the Central Business District, including former Levers Solomons Limited properties, as examples.
“We are not jealous of them, but this is where the concentration of power in the urban centre lies,” he said.
The Central Honiara MP also raised concerns about the country’s taxation framework, arguing that it focuses too heavily on income tax while ignoring capital gains.
“This is why I talk about capital gains. The main thrust of our taxation system is on income. It is not on capital gains,” he said, calling on the Minister of Finance to consider reforms in this area.
Lilo said most of the country’s high-value assets are located in Honiara in the form of property and real estate, rather than in the provinces.
He pointed to regional examples, saying that in countries such as Tonga, land is vested in the state, while Fiji has strict land regulations.
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
