The Lord Mayor told executive members of the Council that the purpose and future of Honiara as the capital city depends on how the City Council addresses the dual issues of urban drift and unemployment.

Mr Maetia said although the two social issues in Honiara have not been formally researched, they are both glaring problems for the Council and the residents of Honiara to address. He said Honiara is a cash economy and not everyone in the city has opportunities or are qualified to be employed or start a business.

He said the reality in Honiara is that many of the unemployed live with relatives who are employed, creating additional pressure on those employed relatives in Honiara. Mr Maetia said this also puts a strain on services provided by the Honiara City Council.

The Lord Mayor said Honiara has too many people and the population is steadily increasing, the population has become far more than the council can afford to deliver or provide services for.