Additional US$5m for cable project

Permanent Secretary (PS) for the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination (MDPAC) Shadrach Fanega said the outstanding US$5million for the Undersea Cable project will be passed in next year’s budget. He clarified this after revelation that the government is willing to shoulder the outstanding cost, which was late to include in the budget for…

Top projects progress

All progressive reports for the revival of the Russell Islands Plantations Limited (RIPEL), Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DBSI) and Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) as well as the reviewing of the Commodities Export Marketing Authourity (CEMA) will be submitted to Cabinet for deliberation and endorsement this month. Secretariat to the Cabinet Sub- Committees has…

PM meets Senator Ferriavanti-Wells

Prime Minister  Manasseh Sogavare has met the visiting Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Concetta Ferriavante-Wells and further discussed the proposed Solomon Islands-Australia policing arrangement for the post RAMSI era. The two leaders initially discussed the new policing arrangement when they first met at the margins of the 8th Australia-Solomon Islands Business…

PM to join Malaita’s big day

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will be chief guest at Malaita’s Provincial second appointed day next week. The 33rd celebration will be staged in Auki next Monday – the 15th August. Malaita Provincial Secretary Jackson Gege said Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will be the guest of honour during the celebration. “Our guest of honour for the…

New rice here

ABOUT 2,490 bags of ten kilogram rice have been arrived in the country. They are being imported by Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Trade and Industries of Solomon Islands (ICCTISI) from Vietnam. It cost ICCTISI about $345,500 to purchase the long grain rice. The bags of rice have been unloaded from two containers yesterday and ready…

Respect is a two-way street

A SIGNIFICANT reconciliation ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Guadalcanal Provincial Police headquarters at Henderson, east of Honiara. The event was significant because it eased hostilities and tensions between youths of Guadalcanal and Temotu living in the Lungga-Henderson area. This was after youths from Temotu brutally attacked a Guadalcanal youth and almost killed him.…

New Western premier

The Western province has a new provincial government premier who was duly elected yesterday. He is former deputy premier Wayne Maepio. He was elected through a secret voting session by the Western provincial assembly yesterday at the XL building in Gizo. The final votes showed Maepio to have come out on top with 16 votes…

SIPA reform inquiry nears end

THE three-months investigation into the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) reform program is nearing completion as Commission of Inquiry (CoI) now picks up its final week of hearing commencing Monday 8th. The inquiry which started on Monday 13th June comprised of chairman, Tony Hughes; Luke Forau, Dr Patricia Rodie, Florence Tagini, Wayne Morris and Florence…