{"id":102817,"date":"2026-02-26T02:12:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T05:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/895676870"},"modified":"2026-02-26T02:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T05:12:38","slug":"pitakia-urge-action-on-shipping-education-and-economic-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/26\/pitakia-urge-action-on-shipping-education-and-economic-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitakia urge action on shipping, education, and economic growth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guest speaker of this years\u2019 Choiseul province 35th Second Appointed Day, Joseph Pitakia calls for urgent solutions to critical development challenges as the province marks 35 years since its Second Appointment Day.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the Lauru community in Honiara, yesterday at the national museum during the celebration to mark the event, Mr Pitakia said that shipping is a top priority of the province.<\/p>\n

 \u201cReliable and affordable shipping is the lifeline of our provinces. Our farmers struggle to get cocoa, coconuts, and garden produce to Honiara, and high costs are stunting economic growth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said that roads, wharves, and electrification are the veins of development and Choiseul province must speak frankly about one of as one of their greatest challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cAddressing shipping and infrastructure is not just an economic issue it is a matter of justice, opportunity, and survival for our people,\u201d the guest of honour said.<\/p>\n

He said that the message is clear and that is for Choiseul to thrive over the next 35 years, the province must act boldly, creatively, and in unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany capable business people at the village level are denied their right to run sustainable businesses. The cost of goods remains high and our economic growth is stunted. Addressing the shipping crisis is not just about infrastructure; it is about justice, opportunity, and economic survival. We must make this a top priority for the next 35 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also put more emphasis on education and healthcare with more than 36,000 students from the province currently enrolled in schools and nearly 1,500 in tertiary education.<\/p>\n

He said that investing in human capital is essential to build a prosperous future for the people of Choiseul province.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo our future. Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world. Not only that, but to safeguard our freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealth is the foundation of our communities. We must ensure that every child has access to the necessary healthcare and nutrition to thrive and reach their full potential,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also urges their leaders to lead with vision and courage; encouraging the community to explore local income-generating opportunities, including agriculture, forestry, and marine industries.<\/p>\n

Photo credit: John Houanihau<\/p>\n

For feedback, contact: [email protected]<\/a><\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor: [email protected]<\/a><\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n

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… Mr Pitakia said that shipping<\/span> is a top priority of … province. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u0080\u009cReliable and affordable shipping<\/span> is the lifeline of our … their greatest challenges. \u00e2\u0080\u009cAddressing shipping<\/span> and infrastructure is not just … is stunted. Addressing the shipping<\/span> crisis is not just about …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}