New PPF chief takes up role

The Participating Police Force (PPF) has a new commander after Mark Ney left the mission prematurely on medical grounds. John Tanti was introduced to the media during the weekly police conference on Thursday at the Rove Police headquarters after serving as commander here for about a month now. He will be here until the Regional…

SIMSA will not register MV Sitka here

MOI ship is ‘too old’ Marine authorities will not accept MV Sitka on its register even if those who purchase the Tongan registered vessel insisted on bringing it over here. Derek Saru, chief marine engineer, Compliance and Standards Division of the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety(SIMSA), stated this. He was responding to announcements Albert Wong of…

USP to establish centres in provinces

The Vice Chancellor and President of the University of the South Pacific (USP), Professor Rajesh Chandra says they intend to establish centres across the provinces. Professor Chandra said this while delivering his key note address at the USP graduation, Friday, in Honiara. “The university plans to establish centres in the remaining provinces as part of…

Drought policy workshop

A consultation workshop for the development of Solomon Islands National Drought Policy is set to start Monday 5th to 8th September in Honiara. The workshop is organised by the department of Meteorology, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Services in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Secretariat of the…

Youth groups get financial help

A TOTAL of eight religious youth groups from the North Guadalcanal Constituency are recipients of the constituency’s Church grant. Member of Parliament for North Guadalcanal Constituency, Samson Maneka revealed an amount of $100, 000 is ready to assist church groups. He clarified this is the second tranche of the $250, 000 Church grant that will…

Wong clarifies MOI ship’s inspection

OWNER of Ocean Marine Albert Wong says MV Sitka was inspected by Tongan marine officials before it sailed to the Solomons. And he added officials there were satisfied with the condition of the vessel, which Mr Wong facilitated its purchase for the Constituency of Malaita Outer Islands (MOI). Earlier, local marine authorities say they were…

Where’s our share in RIPEL?

FORMER employees of Russell Island Plantation Estate Limited (RIPEL) have raised questions over the new ownership deal revealed recently with a new investor, which denied their ownership rights in the shareholding arrangement The new shares proposed in the current ownership status, and appeared in Company Haus, shows that International Comtrade& Shipping (SI) Limited has 75.1…

SIFIU launches anti-money laundering program

THE Solomon Islands Financial Intelligence Unit (SIFIU) finally launched and coordinated another major Anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) National Risk Assessment (NRA) program that commences Monday this week. The Risk Assessment work may take up to six months to complete and requires the cooperation of both the private and the public sector.…

Experts design security plan

ABOUT seven experts are part of a team that is designing the new development assistance programme to succeed Australia’s development assistance programme to Solomon Islands through the Regional Assistance Mission in the post-RAMSI era. The Australian development assistance programme, through RAMSI,focuses on the strengthening of the police and correctional services, judicial system and governance machinery…