Jeremiah Manele Photo: Pacific Islands Forum
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele says it's the responsibility of the State to provide housing for the leader of the country.
Manele was reacting to opposition leader Mathew Wale's statement released on Wednesday, in which he claimed the prime minister was renting a house, owned by a foreigner, for SB$48,000 per month.
Wale said the taxpayers of the nation were footing SB$1.7 million for a three-year rental agreement.
He said Manele should explain "why taxpayers are footing this bill".
However, Manele has labelled the opposition leader's "mediocre" statement as "disinformation".
He said it was the responsibility of the state to house the Prime Minister and not the Prime Minister housing himself.
"In the absence of such a residence…the state rents from the market an accommodation that is fitting for the head of State. This is the case regardless of who is the PM," Manele said, according to a statement by the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
"PM Manele further clarified that the residence of the Prime Minister must meet minimum security and functionality standards, as assessed by Close Protection Personnel (CPP) of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade," the statement said.
Manele said his private house at Tasahe doesn't comply with both the minimum security and functionality requirements for a Prime Minister's residence based on the assessment by the CPP - meaning he could not stay there.
"The current residence is the cheapest executive residence that met the minimum standards for a Prime Minister's residence.
"Other similar accommodation visited but did not meet the security requirements, and ranged from $75,000 per month upward".
"I personally pay 40.9 percent of the monthly rental from the housing allowance paid together with my salary. This is the same allowance paid to the other 49 members of parliament.
"I receive no personal benefit from this allowance, as it goes as my contribution to the monthly rental for the residence," Manele was quoted as saying in parliament.
He also revealed that construction of the official state residence of the Prime Minister will commence no later than the first quarter of 2025 and be completed by early 2027.