HONIARA (Pacnews) — Battle against corruption remains an uphill challenge in the Pacific region, particularly in Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands Speaker of Parliament Sir Peter Kenilorea made the statement when he opened the Transparency International Regional Conference here in Honiara.
Sir Peter told the conference that the full extent of corruption in the country was yet to be fully realized.
He said in most cases, corruption cases have become embedded in Solomon Islands way of life.
He said corruption was eating away at the fabric of life and something must be done urgently to address this growing threat.
Sir Peter described the evil of corruption as a “ball of snow which increases in strength and density as it rolls.”
The three-day seminar is attended by representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon islands.
Local representatives include officials from non-government organizations and the Office of the Auditor General.
Sir Peter praised Transparency International for its initiative in developing program to curb corruption in Asia and the Pacific.
TI has a national integrity system for the Asia and the Pacific to measure corruption in government systems.
Sir Peter said he is confident the program will help strengthen the anti-corruption systems and reduce the evils of corruption.