Tomuriesa urges new minister to complete policy work

FOREST Minister Solan Mirisim will work towards ensuring the National Forest Downstream Policy framework is endorsed by the National Executive Council.
Mirisim assured former minister Douglas Tomuriesa that he would continue from where he had left.
During the handover ceremony from Tomuriesa to Mirisim on Wednesday, the former minister raised concern about the downstream policy framework which had been completed but not progressed.
“That framework has been completed and yet they still continue to improve on it. The policy framework is now with the Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari’s office.
“A copy was given in 2014, nothing was done and about six months ago another was given to the chief secretary’s office for a committee to be established so that it is completed and submitted to National Executive Council for endorsement.
“I hope that minister you will take it on now to complete that process – the downstream process policy framework – that will go through NEC for endorsement,” Tomuriesa said.
He said the biggest challenge was that National Planning and Monitoring did not have a downstream processing framework.
“How can you tie the downstream processing framework within forest at the national planning level, we have communicated already and we are hoping that the downstream policy framework will now become a policy framework for the government.”
Tomuriesa said another policy framework was reforestation which he hoped that with the assistance of acting managing director Goodwill Amos and directors, it would go to NEC for endorsement so those policy frameworks could work hand in hand.
He said the other framework that had now gone through finalisation was the revised Forestry Act.
“I leave that with you, hopefully you can finalise that because we really need a new revised Act that will complement all these new programmes that are coming up.”