The Leader of Opposition, Manasseh Sogavare, has urged Solomon Islanders to get out of the aid dependency mentally.
According to Mr. Sogavare aid assistance to Solomon Islands cannot eliminate poverty in the villages. He said all Aid-money is attached to what he describes as "a fixed agenda and so often the Parliament of Solomon Islands has very little power to appropriate Aid Money to where it sees fit.""Aid is used as a tool to exert foreign interest over a country. In recent times Australian Aid to Solomon Islands has been described as a Boomerang Aid," said Mr. Sogavare.
Sogavare said it is time politicians understand that Aid cannot improve the economy, as is the case since Independence.
"Solomon Islands have been receiving Aid money since independence but there is very little progress" said Sogavare.
"It is an ill-conceived approach to continue to embrace Aid money. We have been depending on aid for almost thirty years."
"The way forward for Solomon Islands is to pursue a proactive private sector-led development strategy and not depending on handouts from aid donors," said Mr. Sogavare.