by Ednal Palmer
Newly appointed Governor General Rev. David Tiva Kapu today stressed the need for people to till the soil and earn a living.
Delivering the speech from the throne to open the second sitting of the 12th Parliament, Kapu said people should not rely on Members of Parliament to provide cash handouts.
“Our people should not be overly reliant on Members of Parliament to provide cash handouts for their daily needs,” he said.
He said the prevailing reliance on handout continues to perpetuate a sense of entitlement within the society.
“Presently, individuals often expect their Members of Parliament to fulfil their requests, shaping their perception of government performance based on personal benefits rather than the delivery of public services.
“This dependency mentality poses significant challenges. It is crucial that we address this attitude promptly.”
The reliance culture grew over time as Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation through Members of Parliament increased over the years, from $200,000 in the 90s to up to $2m this year, for each constituency.
Following widespread criticisms of the fund over the years, the last Government successfully passed the CDF Act 2023 in an attempt to regulate the management of the controversial fund, which sceptics claimed still remains under the influence of political leaders.
The Governor General then urges GNUT to enhance connectivity infrastructure and build on our natural advantages for growth in agriculture, tourism, fisheries and mining, with the aim of creating a resilient and diversified economy that benefits all citizens.
“…focus on trade with other countries through agriculture so that our rural farmers can access these overseas markets for their products and also implement targeted import substitution programme.”
He added that the Government’s recent trip to the Peoples Republic of China is a testament of the country’s determination to revitalise the agriculture and aquaculture sector by gaining access to the Chinese market to trade.