The Mayor of Honiara says an employment project in the Solomon Islands capital should not attract more rural unemployed people to the city.
The seven million dollar Rapid Employment Project was launched this week to provide about 500-thousand days of work for 7500 people in Honiara over five years.
The Guadalcanal Premier Stephen Panga has commented that the government should introduce similar projects for the provinces, so it does not draw rural people to Honiara.
But the mayor Andrew Mua says the Honiara project will only be open to registered residents.
"No no we have our people in Honiara, the unemployed youths, the mothers, who have no formal employment, who have no employment at all. They will be part of this project and we have them registered."
But Andrew Mua says there is already an influx of rural people into Honiara which is putting pressure on services.
The World Bank is funding the project, with support from New Zealand and Australia.
