Economy Archive August 2011

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force is working with Bougainville police to step up border protection.

Canada's Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Canadian International Training & Education Corp (CITREC). have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that opens doors for introduction of Canadian Education in the Solomon Islands.

A special Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting will be held tommorrow in Nadi, Fiji.

According to a secret United States diplomatic assessments, more than a billion dollars and eight years of effort by Australia has failed to build political and economic stability in the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands have made a landmark decision by choosing to endorse the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, EITI, as a cornerstone of transparency in the management of the country's growing mining sector.

The NCRA government has signed a SB$34.8 million dollar exit agreement on RIPEL of Russell Islands - ending eight years of the investment's non-activity and labour disputes in the country.

Public Sector Unions in the country have met the government late yesterday afternoon relating to their Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) demands.

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force says that five people have died in a fatal road accident in Malaita Province early yesterday morning.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Solomon Islands on the 3rd and 4th of September 2011.

Israel's 3rd Mission to Solomon Islands began yesterday, 24th August and will end on the 5th of September 2011.

The Governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last week to open a trade link between Vanuatu and Solomon Islands' Temotu Province.

The soldier who set up a gay-hate Facebook site and threatened to cut a gay officer ''into a hundred pieces'' has avoided jail after a judge found he was suffering from post traumatic stress triggered while on duty in the Solomon Islands.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade has successfully held a national seminar on Monday 15th August on Solomon Islands' PACER Plus Trade Negotiations with Australia and New Zealand.

Acting Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Hon. Moffat Fugui has warned that future fishing access agreements with distant water fishing nations and fishing fleets will be conditional on the satisfactory negotiation of an agreement that will be clearly linked to onshore investments.

The Permanent Secretary of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Finance, Mr Shadrach Fanega, has advised ministries that incidents of maladministration, fraud and corruption by government officers and suppliers will not be tolerated.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Hon. Peter Shanel Agovaka says Solomon Islands is committed to negotiating a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU)

A workshop on Capacity Development Needs Assessment (CDNA) for Provincial Governments has started in Honiara Solomon Islands today, at the Heritage Park Hotel.

In an official ceremony last week, the Japanese government handed over the new state of the art hospital in Gizo to the Solomon Islands government.

The enforcement team within the Ministry of Fisheries is to conduct an investigation into the coral skeletons illegally taken out from the country and seized by US customs in Port Tampa, Florida, United States.

A six feet long crocodile was captured this morning at Tamboko in West Guadalcanal by locals.

Our Telekom has announced a drop in its Mobile Internet Rates by over 50 per cent.

Prime Minister Danny Philip has lashed out at allegations of "undue influence" levelled against him by the MP for East Honiara Douglas Ete.

Solomon Islands National Carrier, Solomon Airlines is now only waiting approval from the Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority before its leased Airbus can begin operations in Solomon Islands.

Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) encourages the governments to spend money that is allocated for climate change initiatives responsibly.

A Florida university says hundreds of seized coral skeletons illegally poached in the Solomon Islands will be used for research and educational purposes.

The Office of the Chief Trade Adviser (OCTA) has entered a two-year grant funding arrangement for NZ$1.3 million (US$1million) with the Government of New Zealand on 7 July 2011.

The hugs, the patting, smile and separation marked an emotional end to contractors from Sri Lanka who helped construct the new modern Gizo hospital in the Western Province of Solomon Islands.

As it nears full completion, the Gizo Hospital is fittingly being described as the "Pride of the West."

Across the Pacific region, high rates of violence against women and children, unstable political environments and ethnic conflict continue to undermine peace and security - compromising the safety of individuals, families and entire populations

The Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) have arrested a man for threatening violence that involved firearm and ammunition.

Temotu Province is gearing up for trade link talks with Vanuatu, scheduled to take place in Port Villa later this month.

Republic of China, Taiwan, has released funds for 15 rural community projects worth nearly SB$8 million dollars to Prime Minister Danny Philip in Honiara late yesterday afternoon.

Public Sector Unions have given the national government until the end of this month to respond to a second option relating to their demand for 11.5 % Cost of Living Adjustment increase.

A hearing will be conducted at the High Court this morning into the defamation suit filed against Prime Minister Danny Philip and his former press secretary Alfred Sasako.

Two Chinese men allegedly involved in organizing a prostitution ring in the Solomon Islands continued at the Magistrate Court today.

Australia will contribute up to 48 million dollars to Solomon Islands under the new direct funding arrangement which will commence in the third quarter of 2011.

The National Organizing Committee of the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts has signed a significant Memorandum of Agreement with the Solomon Islands College of High Education to open the way for construction of festival facilities at a number of SICHE locations.

A group of Flying Doctors of America have had a successful eight days providing medical work in the Solomon Islands specifically in East Malaita and at the National Referral Hospital.

An Australian Parliamentary Delegation recently visited Solomon Islands from 31 July to 5 August.

The first memorial to honour Solomon Islands Second World War scouts and coast watchers was unveiled in Honiara yesterday.

The High Court has been told Australian officials did not do anything illegal during the deportation of former Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti to Australia.

Following a year of UQ-led field research and workshops, a 'Framework of Engagement' for building peace and order in the Solomon Islands has been developed.

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Commerce has revealed that it does not have the resources to monitor the effects of the recent appreciation of Solomon Island dollar on the prices of goods.

The government of the Republic of China has released its first payment of 10 million dollars to support the 2011 Solomon Islands Government Training and Award.

Giant leatherback sea turtles swim from nesting sites in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea all the way across the Pacific Ocean to the coast of California in search of food.

Solomon Islands is one of the countries in the Pacific attending the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management meeting this week in Auckland.

National consultations on a possible trade agreement between Solomon Islands and Australia and New Zealand, commonly referred to as "PACER-Plus," has been extended to the Provinces.

Former leader of the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army (GRA) Harold Keke is on trial for murder.

A street celebration will be held in the capital this Sunday to commemorate the unveiling of the "Pride of Our Nation Monument" honoring Solomon Islanders who have worked as scouts and Coast watchers during the Second World War.