ACTING Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga has met with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Executives at the Office of the Prime Minister & Cabinet on Friday, a PMO statement said.
ADB’s Alternate Executive Director Scott Dawson said the purpose of their courtesy visit is to dialogue with the Government to get their views on ADB projects and what needs to be done or improved on.
He said ADB is embarking on reforms that will see much more efficiency in projects especially on areas such as reducing time from project concept to project readiness.
“ADB is prepared to further strengthen our cooperation with the Government and people of Solomon Islands,” he said.
ADB’s Regional Director Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office Lotte Schou-Zibell said ADB is also prepared to assist Solomon Islands in providing technical advice in economics, finance and debt management.
Acting Prime Minister Maelanga in response has welcomed ADBs continuous cooperation and commitment to the country.
Mr Maelanga emphasised that there needs to be more collaboration between Solomon Islands and ADB as the way forward.
He said there has always been misunderstandings between parties that has resulted in failed projects around the country which calls for more cooperation and understanding between the Government, its partners and the people.
“In Solomon Islands we do things differently compared to other pacific countries and maybe it’s good to readjust our approach to how we do things around here.
“But most importantly, I believe one of the key areas is for our partners to align themselves with government policies and priorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the acting Prime Minister has also welcomed ADB’s offer to provide technical advice and close collaboration with the Government.
Mr Maelanga also briefly highlighted the revival of the Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DBSI) which was welcomed by ADB.
