Latest News Archive August 2013

The financing agreement for the second European Union Solomon Islands Technical Cooperation Facility (TCF II) has been signed this week in Honiara.

About two hundred navy personnel from five countries will soon be deployed to Solomon Islands to address explosive war remnants in Central Province and Guadalcanal Province.

The owners of the Gold Ridge mine in Solomon Islands are denying it is polluting the river downstream of the tailings dam.

Solomon Islands customs officers may be in for a surprise next month if they ask to inspect the luggage of one Canterbury school group.

Anna Crumley-Effinger has returned home this week to share stories from her internship in the Solomon Islands as part of her studies as a Rotary Club Peace Fellow.

A remote runway in Solomon Islands is due to be completed by next week, as the final part of New Zealand’s biggest single aid package.

Tumby Bay residents in Australia will be pleased to see the return of their local Post Office manager Danielle Morton, who is back home after running a post office for deployed officers in Solomon Islands.

The Ministry of Communication and Aviation in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold a consultation workshop on the development of the “Solomon Islands ICT Policy and Strategic Plan” in Honiara today.

A Fiji Corrections Service delegation is currently visiting the Solomon Islands to view how its Solomon Islands counterpart administers its correctional facilities.

The Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Clay Forau Soalaoi have commended the recently concluded Heads of Missions national consultation meeting in Honiara last week.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) has hit back at civil society groups urging them to look beyond the costs associated with the trip to Indonesia.

The Solomon Islands Minister for Finance and Treasury Hon Rick Hou has announced the extension of Mr Denton Rarawa's contract for a further term.

The Solomon Islands Government’s Consumer Affairs and Price Control Department is seeking to increase penalties on shop owners who continue to sell expired or defective goods.

Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo is under heavy criticism over his trip to Indonesia, with the Joint Civil Society Group, JCSG, describing it as “a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The Government this week handed over eleven saw milling machines to rural recipients during a ceremony at the Ministry of Forestry and Research Headquarters in Honiara.

The Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional strengthening has announced September 26 as Election Day for Western and Choiseul Provinces as well as by-elections for Ward 4 (Lipe/Temoa) of Temotu Province and Ward 6 (Mugihenua) of Rennell and Bellona Province.

A group representing Solomon Islands business women is hoping plans to operate a daily flea market in the capital will soon be approved.

The University of the South Pacific signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), on Thursday 8 August, 2013, at the USP Laucala Campus in Suva.

The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce says tougher law enforcement is needed to stop foreigners taking jobs that are reserved for the country’s citizens.

The Public Service Commission has finally appointed nine Directors out of ten to the Economic Growth Center Division who will be directly responsible for the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Government’s Economic Growth Center Policy.

A four days National Consultation workshop by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) for the country’s overseas Heads of Missions (HOM) and other relevant stakeholders is currently underway in Honiara.

“The Opposition needs a bit of economic lecture to understand how we connect to international trade,” says Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo when rebuffing recent criticisms against his visit to Indonesia.

Australia has apologized to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo after a lapse in protocol saw him swabbed for explosives at Brisbane airport.

Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Dr. Derek Sikua has accused the Prime Minister of lying about the funding source for his trip to Indonesia.

Last week ANZ Bank has announced a profit of A$4.8 billion (K10.9 billion) for the nine months to June 30, up 11% from the same period last year.

Solomon Islands Opposition Leader, Hon. Dr Derek Sikua wants the government to halt a proposed SBD$2m pay out to the Kazukuru Land Trust Board of Munda.

A New Zealand-funded project to upgrade airport facilities in the remote Western Province of the Solomon Islands will benefit international airlines servicing the Pacific island nation's capital of Honiara.

For the past month, over 250 youths have participated in a series of weekly training sessions on “Peace-building and Reconciliation” facilitated by the UNDP’s Human Security project as part of the Youth at Work program.

Solomon Islands’ acting police commissioner, Juanita Matanga has warned that officers who collude with members of the public will be dealt with severely.

All internet shops in Fiji will now open until the hours allowed under their specific business license, says Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

The Free West Papua Campaign has opened its office in the Hague, in the Netherlands.

A Group of landowning tribes claiming original ownership over the Munda international Airport are threatening to close the airport over what they claim as being left out of negotiations for the national infrastructure on their land.

The newborn son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made global news again this month, with the public release of his birth certificate.

An Australian national was arrested last week at Airport Motel for tearing a $50 note in half, giving part of it to the taxi driver who dropped him at the motel.

Descendants of a tribe from the Solomon Islands residing in the heart of the Ra Province are searching for clues on how and when their ancestors first arrived into the country.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Hon. Gordon Darcy Lilo has paid tribute to Solomon Islanders who were part of the South Sea Islanders taken as slaves to Queensland, Australia 150 years ago.

Press Statement - Forum Economic Ministers have stressed the critical and urgent need for financing to effectively respond to climate change.

Twenty-six representatives from six Pacific Island countries are in Suva this week for a five-day regional workshop to develop concrete action plans to address high rates of violence against women in the region.

Member of Parliament for Kia-Hograno Selwyn Riumana says calls by the Anti-Corruption Network of Solomon Islands for the police to arrest and charge him was unnecessary.

The Solomon Islands deputy opposition leader has questioned the Prime Minister’s comments on West Papua while in Jakarta.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully yesterday opened the new Munda runway and Noro-Munda road in the Western Province of Solomon Islands.

Claims by the Australian government that its new policy of sending asylum seekers arriving by boat to Papua New Guinea or Nauru is a success have been met with condemnation by several Indonesian human rights and legal aid organizations.

Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services has taken delivery of a new ambulance, thanks to the New Zealand amphibious sea lift ship HMNZS CANTERBURY for the delivery.

Papua New Guinea has been losing billions of kina in mineral resources due to lack of strong policies and capacity to properly monitor and regulate the industry.

The National Coalition for Rural Advancement (NCRA) Government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Kazukuru Land Trust Board Inc (KLTB) of Western Province.

A local Solomon Islands’ Youth leader in Malaita province says local police officers do not often respond to family violence call outs.

Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA) together with Ministry of Health and Medical Services – Social Welfare Division Gender Based Violence Program are implementing a project funded by the British High Commission called ‘Nokim Daon Vaelens’.

Solomon Island students at the USP received their allowances yesterday after a long wait.

A new report on the status of reef and near-shore fisheries of Pacific Islands has delivered a mixed verdict about their health.

Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo discussed restive Papua among other issues during their bilateral meeting in Bogor, West Java, on Monday.

Forty-eight year old bouncer, Kameli Bolaitamana has appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court for a charge of murder of a Solomon Islands student studying in Fiji.

Bemobile, Solomon Islands second mobile phone service provider says it will be business as usual for the country.

Mackay Cutters co-captain Jardine Bobongie will proudly represent his Solomon Islands heritage when Virgin Australia Stadium hosts its first international rugby league match on October 5.

Fiji National University (FNU) and the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on FNU’s Nasinu Campus.

A new theater group in the Solomon Islands has set its sights on helping to reduce gender-based violence.

A financing Agreement for 168 community projects funded by the Solomon Islands Government through the Rural Development Program (RDP) has been signed in Honiara yesterday.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hon. Samuel Manetoali has officially launched the new Corporate Direction for the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB).

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo meets Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Bogor State Palace in West Java yesterday.

The Solomon Islands Masina Pan Pipers is probably one of the oldest surviving music groups in Fiji even though they have not officially released an album nor gained popularity like our mainstream music acts in the country.

A Solomon Islands local timber business owner is calling on all women to support other women running for parliament as the country gears up for the 2014 election.

115 Solomon Islands students graduated from the Australia Pacific Technical College (APTC) on Wednesday at a special ceremony in Honiara - the largest APTC graduation ceremony held in Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands delegation had successfully chaired the Forum Officials Committee (FOC) meeting held in Suva last week.

Six months after the tsunami in Temotu Province of Solomon Islands, World Vision has effectively assisted thousands of families through a US$ 810,449 response.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Hon. Gordon Darcy Lilo returned yesterday after participating at the recent Pacific Islands Development Forum in Fiji with the aim to promote sustainable development for the country.

There are currently some doubts as to whether the Solomon Islands National Soccer League season will still kick off this year.

Putting knowledge into action: Wallis and Futuna leads in disaster preparedness with support from SPC and the European Union

Solomon Islands Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Manasseh Maelanga has paid tribute to the men and women who fought and died during World War 2 in Solomon Islands.

Ten artists and weavers will represent Solomon Islands at the 150th Anniversary of Australian South Sea Islander History commemorations in Australia.

Creating income-generating opportunities for rural people in Samoa is at the heart of an initiative that engages small-scale famers to produce virgin coconut oil for export.

In discussing the new Public Financial Management Act, Solomon Islands Minister for Finance and Treasury, the Hon. Rick Hou said that a key feature contained in the Act is the new fiscal responsibility provisions.

Solomon Islands Minister of Finance and Treasury, Hon Rick Hou, announced that the new Public Financial Management Act will facilitate better decisions on Government Borrowing, On-lending and Guarantees.

Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Hon. Gordon Lilo Darcy says his country is not interested in being part of the Australian Government's 'Pacific Solution' for asylum seekers.

Solomon Islands Permanent Representative to the United Nations Collin Beck says the country has a lot to learn from the experience of Sri Lanka as the two countries formally established diplomatic relations last month.

Solomon Islands coffee producers, Varivao Holding Ltd is one of the forty companies within the Region currently in Fiji to promote their products and services at the annual Melanesian Spearhead Group road show.

A local cocoa and coconut farmer in Solomon Islands says the funds distributed by their Members of Parliament are not reaching the local farmers in the rural areas.

World Vets volunteers and U.S. Army veterinary technicians are providing hands-on training for Solomon Island paravets and livestock officers during Pacific Partnership programme.

Pacific Partnership 2013 Sailors and nongovernmental organization volunteers delivered Project Handclasp donations to the Solomon Islands Western Province Council of Women during a community service event on August 3.

Solomon Islands local pressure group, the Malaita Ma'asina Forum (MMF) says the Parliamentary Entitlements Committee (PEC)is "lazy and politicised" and must be removed.

The Solomon Islands Government has announced that it will take tougher measures on logging industries operating in the country.

Solomon Islands Scouts and Coast watchers have been formally recognized for the role they played in World War II, through the presentation of the first Solomon Islands Scouts and Coast watchers Medallion last week.

Solomon Islands police are still seeking Edmond Sae, who escaped from their custody in 2003 , in connection with the murder of the former Police Commissioner and Peace Councillor, Sir Frederick Soaki in February of that year.