GWAUNARU’U Airport near Auki, Malaita, reopened Monday this week. This was after more than two years of closure due to disputes amongst landowners. The financial loss the closure had on Malaita as a province was catastrophic. Solomon Airlines, as the service provider, experienced similar losses. The reopening of the airport is not only welcomed news,…
Dear Editor – No retreat, no giving in. Betel nut vendors are back again on the Honiara Streets. This time round it appears to be irresistible and wild. These consistent goings-on are happening in the eyes of the very legislator, the Honiara City Council (HCC), but no action is executed. Who is responsible for Honiara…
WORLD No Tobacco Day, on 31 May every year, highlights the burden of tobacco and tobacco-related harm. In Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), tobacco use is still a common habit. Between 25% and 75% of adult males, and 20% and 59% of adult females were current smokers according to data available for 14 PICTS…
Dear Editor – I write to express my concern at the attitude of the staffs of Solomon Islands Tobacco Limited who for the past months have threatened us the market vendors. Since February this year staffs of Solomon Islands Tobacco Company Limited (SITCO) have been visiting us at the Kukum market purposely to preach one…
Dear Editor – A principal of a Honiara based private security business wrote to me the other day reminding me of advice I had once given him about the need for local security businesses to be properly regulated with legislative solutions similar to those in regional countries. It is quite a few years since I…
Dear Editor – In a water supply project costing more than $1million, shared equally with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of the Solomon Islands, villagers centred on Laro, Nyimoa and Tanga in the remote Reef Islands finally, last week and after waiting for many years, were able to turn…
Dear Editor – A principal of a Honiara based private security business wrote to me the other day reminding me of advice I had once given him about the need for local security businesses to be properly regulated with legislative solutions similar to those in regional countries. It is quite a few years since I…
Dear Editor – Very interesting indeed and what a hypocritical turn after much ado about “poor quality Vietnamese rice” and after much effort in putting a stop to SIPA’s efforts to sell lower, affordable priced rice to Solomon Islanders, Nick Ellis has the guts to promote “good quality Vietnamese rice” for sale to Solomon Islanders.…
IN 2002, Solomon Islands’ economy was on its knees. Since then, gross national income per person in real dollar terms has nearly doubled. While part of this increase is due to the recovery of the economy from the upheaval that ended in 2003, a significant portion can be attributed to the Government of Solomon Islands’…
LATE last week, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement rejecting the Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s comments on the issue of West Papua and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). In his statement, Manasseh Sogavare proposes that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) be given full membership to the MSG. He asserts…