US $2.5b OFFER IN DOUBT

Suidani: switch to China, a blow to Malaita-US deal By WILSON SAENI In Auki   GOVERNMENT’s decision to switch ties from Taiwan may cost Malaita province from receiving SBD$2,468,445,000.00 ($2.5b) in funding support from United States (US). This was revealed by the Malaita provincial premier Daniel Suidani who has hit out at Malaitan Members of Parliament…

Manele denies Opposition claims

FOREIGN Affairs minister Jeremiah Manele has refuted claims by the Opposition leader that the Prime Minister has ordered him not to meet with the Taiwanese delegation on Monday. Opposition Leader Matthew Wale in a media statement on Wednesday has claimed that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has advised Manele not to meet with the visiting Taiwanese delegation upon…

CSOs: rush to switch arrogant, undemocratic

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) describes the government actions on the switch from Taiwan to China as arrogant and undemocratic. At a meeting organised by the Development Services Exchange (DSE) on Tuesday CSO members expressed their frustrations seeking answers as to why there was no consideration to their presentations to the Foreign Relations Committee in response…

Gov’t meets to identify gaps

THE Government’s Core Ministerial Coordination Committee (CMCC) met on Wednesday to discuss and identify the development gaps in relation to the current change in the government’s foreign policy on the ‘One China Principle’.   Permanent Secretaries from various government ministries were summoned to attend the meeting on ROC-funded projects and identify issues that require urgent attention, particularly…

Danny on diplomatic friends

MEMBER of Parliament for Rendova -Tetepari Danny Philip calls on the world’s liberal democracies to negotiate an acceptable deal with China (PRC) on the Two-China question at the highest level so that Taiwan can be treated as an equal amongst the family of nations at the United Nations. He made the call following the decision…

Kuma refutes CBSI advisory on debt

FINANCE and Treasury Minister Harry Kuma has refuted a Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) advisory of the potential debt distress should the country borrow more money from China. CBSI offered the advisory to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at his request as part of the recent government review of the Taiwan-Solomons relationship and the potential…

STUDENTS DILEMMA

Fugui urged to act on promise By IAN M.KAUKUI   TASK-FORCE chairman Moffat Fugui has been urged to act on promises he made to immediately address the predicament our students studying in Taiwan now face. Honiara resident Jay Tane made the call following Monday’s decision to switch ties, leaving the future of 125 students studying…

WPDC to visit affected areas

WESTERN Provincial Disaster Committee (WPDC) will visit Vella La Vella island to conduct an assessment of the affected areas caused by the recent bad weather in Western province. The team is made up of Gizo Police Officers, Red Cross, Agriculture and R- WASH (Rural Water Sanitation Hygiene). They will visit communities in ward 8 from…

PS calls on staff to pull up socks

STAFF of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) have been challenged to pull up their socks and work hard to help contribute strengthen the economy. Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Ethel Frances made the call early this week during a 2019 Senior Extension staff conference at the SIBC conference…