The Solomon Islands Reform Democratic Party has announced that it proposes to set up rural development agencies which will govern each constituency in the handling of rural development funds.
Speaking during a forum organized by the media association of Solomon Islands, MASI, the party's president, Danny Philip, said that his party will move funds away from the discretion of members of parliament to chief executive officers of each constituency's development agencies.He said that Rural Constituency Development Funds, Millennium fund, Micro-project, rural livelihood funds and all funds available for rural development will be handed over to the CEOs who will then distribute and assist all development units in and around each growth centres in the country.
Mr Philip said that it is the CEO who will be responsible to co-ordinate monitor and will be acting as the link between members of parliament and the people.
He said that by moving the responsibility of handling rural development funds away from MPs will give them "time and effort to concentrate on their duty as legislators instead of accountants."