Minister of Culture and Tourism Seth Gukuna of Solomon Islands

Seth Gukuna is perhaps one of our best national leaders and Im equally sure that he will come to realise his mistake and will act responsibly by offering an apology to the Premiers concerned.

Solomon Islands Culture and Tourism Minister Seth Gukuna said this is good news for Solomon Islands especially when it comes at a time when the ministry is taking steps to substantially improve the role of the tourism industry in the local economy.

Minister Gukuna said the number of arrivals had immediately increased to 15 percent but the government is pushing forward to doubling the current rate.

Gukuna said will be addressed soon.

Gukuna said that the stadium is "one example of Asian businessmen invading this nation to operate their business here while the indigenous Solomon Islanders are not being given the opportunity to run their business on a particular land in Honiara.

But Malaita premier Mr Naamo said he just cannot understand why Mr Gukuna came up with his fabrication.

And we have never engaged someone else to talk to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)," Gukuna said yesterday.

Gukuna denied he knew Gregory Young.

The Minister Seth Gukuna says the allocation will enable his ministry carry out some of the projects planned by the ministry to double the number of tourist arrivals from now until 2010.

Seth Gukuna says some of the new projects include a National Heritage Centre and the establishment of a Catering and Hospitality school at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education.

Gukuna said He said the curriculum for these studies has been approved.

Tourism after the new government came into power.

Mr Gukuna says Solomon Islands would benefit immensely from the tourist dollar.

Mr Gukuna says the government is aiming to substantially improve the role of the tourism industry in the local economy.

Speaking in parliament, Mr Gukuna says the perception in the public that the countrys political system is corrupt has continued to our divert attention from corruption in the Public Service.

Gukuna said that despite the huge potential in the countrys tourism sector, his Ministry did not receive much from successive government budgets.

Mr Gukuna said that he is pleased that the 2008 Budget has given his Ministry a comparatively larger development budget allocation of SBD$12 million, indicating the seriousness of the Government towards the development of tourism in Solomon Islands.

However, Mr Gukuna is still in Taipei due to lack of money for his repatriation home.