PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has invited all Solomon Islands development partners to join hands with his Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) to accomplish its ambition to transform Solomon Islands into a united and self- reliant nation.
GNUT convened a Solomon Islands Government-Donors roundtable dialogue at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara on Wednesday.
PM Manele, in the keynote address at the event, expressed this aspiration when delivering hi
“Ladies and gentlemen, today, I invite you all to join hands with (GNUT) in a renewed partnership that demonstrates trust and genuine intent, durable and lasting friendship and a stronger relationship based on our shared values and respect for each other’s sovereignty.
“The Government of National Unity and Transformation, as the name suggests, is no longer about a ‘business as usual approach.
“GNUT’s agenda is about doing things differently to promote national unity and to transform Solomon Islands to a country that is united and self-reliant over time,” PM Manele said.
He said GNUT wants to transform Solomon Islands into a country that is strong, united, secure, peaceful, progressive and prosperous and a country whose people are educated and healthy and manage their resources in economically, environmentally and socially sustainable ways to leave behind a legacy that Solomon Islands can be proud of.
PM Manele said GNUT policy statements are grounded on the four pillars of economic transformation, national unity and stability, infrastructure development and human capital development and to achieve these four pillar objectives, the government would need the dedicated and genuine support of all its development partners.
He said successive governments have lagged in their contribution to development financing and GNUT is no exception, placing more funding responsibility on development partners.
PM Manele underscored that government is working on a resilient strategy that will see government contribute a significant portion of SIG’s development financing over time.
He added that the government needs time to fully develop and implement the strategy.
The PM then called on development partners to jointly explore new forms of genuine and durable partnerships and new modalities for financing such as budget support for our development priorities.
He told development partners that GNUT is committed to developing and implementing the resilient financing strategy, which will see the government’s contribution towards development financing increase over time in a consistent and sustainable manner.
PM Manele said such an increase will enable government to become the major financier of the country’s development priorities.
- OPMC
