BETELNUT chewers in Gizo, the provincial capital of the Western Province, are facing a significant financial squeeze as the seasonal betel-nut shortage currently experienced drives prices to a record high. Over the past months since the early Christmas festive and prior to new year, the cost of betel nut has skyrocketed across the province and…
THE Minister of Finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare, has approved a total of $15.2 million in exemptions for Xiao’s Henderson Hotel Ltd, a Chinese company. The exemptions include: Both exemptions were granted on 31st July 2024 and will expire on 31st January 2025. The issuing of exemptions to both local and foreign businesses has been…
THERE are growing calls for the responsible authorities to decentralise the recruitment process for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) to the provincial level in Solomon Islands. This is to improve access and efficiency for Solomon Islanders interested in participating in the scheme. Currently, most recruitment activities are centralised in Honiara, creating logistical challenges and…
M-SELEN operators, Solomon Telekom Company Limited, is reported to have asked the support of the National Government through the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT) to support its operations in the rural areas. M-Selen sources said a request has been submitted to MOFT, but it has yet to respond. The sources said the request is…
A LOCAL tourism operator from Northwest (NW) Guadalcanal has voiced strong criticism against responsible authorities for their negligence of critical infrastructure issues that are adversely impacting tourism in the region. This operator highlighted the dire state of the roads as a huge barrier to the accessing of numerous tourist sites, which he said led to…
MANY Malaitans who have been hoping to return to Honiara this week after spending Christmas and New Year in their home villages in Malaita are facing challenges due to high demand for shipping services for the Auki-Honiara route. Last weekend, many passengers who were expecting to travel back to Honiara found themselves stranded in front…
AUSTRALIA will begin a climate resilience partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute in 2025 to assist Solomon Islands Government with climate change national adaptation planning and vulnerability assessments. This was announced by the Australian High Commissioner to Solomin Islands, Rod Hilton in his latest fortnightly update on the progress of programs that Australia is…
A representative of the Garavu tribe, Joel Jackson, has raised concerns over $2 million in royalty payments made by Win Win Investment Limited to the Koehota Landowners Association (KLA). Jackson alleges that the funds have been misused by KLA leaders. According to a Pan Oceanic Bank (POB) account statement covering the period from December 28,…
The vibrant New Year’s (NY) Eve and New Year celebrations in Gizo, the provincial capital of Western Province, have come to a close, and the island town is gradually returning to its usual rhythm. The bustling streets, once filled with the sounds of music and laughter, are now quieter, though the lingering festive spirit can…
THE Governor-General Reverend David Tiva has urged responsible government authourities to work on policies and regulations to govern the use of social media platforms as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country, which have risen with the advancement of technology globally. The Governor-General dedicated part of his 2025 New Year’s National Address on the…