The Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Mr. David Morrison, will be in Honiara on 12-14 September to meet with UN officials, government ministries and stakeholders. UNCDF is UN’s capital investment agency for the world's 48 least developed countries.   

While Solomon Islands is making progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, effective delivery of services remains a challenge. UNCDF provides technical and investment support for more effective service delivery in provinces and for expanded access to sustainable financial services for Solomon Islanders through two programmes: Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme (PGSP) and Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP), the latter being a regional programme based in Suva, Fiji.  The three-day visit hopes to discuss with the partners of UNCDF the activities and results achieved so far by PGSP and PFIP in improving the lives of the people in Solomon Islands.  

Mr. Morrison will meet with the Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening  Walter Folotalu and his senior officials to discuss PGSP and how it strengthens the capacity of provincial governments to deliver services and to manage development in all nine provinces.  PGSP has set up a performance-based grant system, through which around 3.7 million USD (SBD27.6 million) has been disbursed to provincial governments for 201 projects in education, health, infrastructure and commerce. Mr. Morrison will visit Guadalcanal Province Headquarters and Tenabuti Village in Guadalcanal Province, where a recently renovated community clinic will be inaugurated. The community clinic was renovated with the funding provided by the Guadalcanal Provincial Government through PGSP.   

Mr. Morrison will meet with the Governor of the Central Bank Denton Rarawa and with the newly created National Financial Inclusion Unit to discuss activities and support to achieve the vision expressed in the   National Financial Inclusion Action Plan – to extend access to financial services to additional 70,000 Solomon Islanders by 2015.   

PGSP is an institutional strengthening program aiming to develop the capacity of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening and all nine provincial governments to effectively deliver services and promote local development.  PGSP is funded by the Government of Solomon Islands, AusAID – delivered through Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, European Union, UNCDF and UNDP. PFIP is a Pacific-wide programme helping provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by UNCDF, European Union, AusAID and UNDP and operates from the UNDP Pacific Centre. 

For further information contact: Baddley Nukumuna, PGSP Communications Officer, Tel: 677 22525, Mobile: 677 7560757, Email: baddley.nukumuna@undp.org Janka Geckova, UNCDF Programme Specialist, Tel: 677 22747,  Mobile: 677 7422432, E-mail: janka.geckova@uncdf.org  

Note to Editors:  Bio of UNCDF Executive Secretary, David Morrison available at https://www.uncdf.org/Executive-Secretary