TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands understands that a big government delegation has left for Vienna to report on the progress the government has achieved with regard to implementation of the UNAC nationally. We hope that whilst the government is unable to explain to Solomon Islands in a transparent manner the reasons behind the delay of the Anti-Corruption…
Urgent action is needed THIS week forestry regulatory body, Solomon Forest Association (SFA) issued a veiled warning that if the Government does not act in doing something about rogue logging companies, it would wind up. Such drastic action would leave the door wide open for fly-by-night loggers to come and go and to practice their…
“Aid dependency, resource dependency, and natural disasters remain huge challenges for the region.” Securing long-term economic viability remains a challenge for the Melanesian states, with geographic isolation, climate change, natural disasters, and aid dependency presenting significant problems for these relatively young countries. Vanuatu has a population of 270,000 and a GDP of $771 million. Designing an…
Last week in Port Vila, a new Melanesian Free Trade Agreement was reached by Trade Ministers from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, the members of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The new trade agreement, which took three years of negotiations, after signatures by MSG Leaders and ratification by parliament, will be known as…
ON 9th of December 2015 during the marking of the International Anti-Corruption Day the nation, applauded as they listened to our Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, declared to the nation his government’s commitment to bring about various legislative reforms to tackle corruption within the public sector, the private sector and in any environment where there is…
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…
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…
ON the 27th April 2016, an EX PARTE INTERIM ORDER was executed by His Lordship Foukona Judge (HCC 176 of 2016) Restraining Richfield Timber Company Limited and Vungasilo Investment Limited (licensee) owned by Joseph Tausuli, a member of the Guadalcanal Provincial Executive from landing logging machinery and equipment on Vungasilo concession license area. The Order…
When anything goes wrong, there are always two explanations: blame it on bad luck or poor judgment. When an economy does badly in terms of poor rates of growth or inflation, economists put the blame on shocks: external or internal. When an economy does well in terms of high rates of growth or low inflation,…