02/10/2009 (Solomon Star) - THE Government says it will recruit four project managers as part of its commitment to boost oil palm plantations in the country.

The managers will each look after oil palm plantation projects the government plans to establish at Auluta and Waisisi in Malaita, Vangunu in Western, and in Choiseul.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said the managers will oversee the implementations of the projects.

Under the plan, the Government will facilitate the establishment of these project but the actual plantations will be undertaken by private operators.

So far only Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) is operating an oil palm plantation on Guadalcanal.

The Vangunu Project had started years ago, but failed due to lack of commitment by the operator Silvania Products, whose interest seemed to be in logging than palm oil.

Silvania had logged out the government land on Vangunu but has failed to move into oil palm production.

Its managing director Joseph Wong has since fled the country, leaving behind nothing on Vangunu but a trail of destruction.

The Government says it wants to see the Vangunu project revamped and is putting money into it.

The Auluta Basin project in Malaita has been already launched after landowners sorted landownership issues between themselves.

The government is now looking for an investor to start the project off.

The Waisisi and Choiseul projects are still in the pipeline.