MINING FEE HITS $5M

THE Isabel Provincial Government has substantially increased its Business Licence fee for mining from $1 million to $5 million a year – an increase of 500 percent on the previous rate. The move has raised alarm bells ringing in the industry with some saying there is no justification for the increase unless it was designed…

Weekly flights to continue

THE weekly Friday flights from Brisbane, Australia and special chartered flights will continue to operate. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare confirmed this today when announcing the seven new COVID-19 cases detected in the country. These cases bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 32. Six of the seven cases are from Pelau…

Govt deploys team to Ontong Java

THE national government will be deploying a team of 31 people in its first response phase to Ontong Java in the Malaita Outer Islands tomorrow (Wednesday 19th January 2022). Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in a special address on the COVID 19 situation in our country this morning (18th January 2022) said four health personnel and…

$48M+ LOSS

SITCO hopes to bounce back despite ‘million dollar damages’ incurred during November riots  DESPITE being looted and damaged during last November’s riot and looting in Honiara, Solomon Islands Tobacco Company (SITCO) has affirmed that it will bounce back. SITCO General Manager, Kazi Mushfiqur Rahman told Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the company’s stand, during a…

Saudi Arabia Minister expresses interest in Solomon Islands

SAUDI Arabia’s Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs, Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, Mr. Bandar Alchemies, visited the Solomon Islands Pavilion on Sunday 9th January, 2021 as part of his Government’s familiarization tour to Pacific Island Countries (PICS) attending Expo 2020 Dubai. After a brief welcome and introduction by Deputy Commissioner General and Pavilion…