Tarawa, Kiribati – Air Kiribati and Solomon Airlines have signed an agreement establishing a new aviation service linking Tarawa with Honiara, Brisbane and Nadi (Fiji). The agreement holds even more significance for the Kiribati national carrier which recently relaunched as an international airline following a decision by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to provide…
Solomon Airlines has announced a suspension of all services to Santa Cruz with immediate effect. Citing land dispute issues as the reason for the suspension, an airline spokesman said the national carrier apologised unreservedly for the decision. “We do apologise to our valued clients for any inconvenience the suspension of the Santa Cruz service may…
North Malaita vessel goes into business When North Malaita MP Jimmy Lusibaea bought a fuel tanker instead of a passenger vessel for his constituency, some constituents went berserk. “North Malaita does not need a fuel tanker. We need a passenger ship,” were some of the complaints. But Lusibaea and his constituency committee have other plans.…
FOUR officials from the Solomon Islands Government have completed capacity building exchange with a number of Fiji agencies handling trade and trade-related issues. The 10-day Peer Learning on Trade Data for Solomon Islands Trade officials concluded on Friday in Suva. Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Fiji, Patterson Oti said trade policy and development needed to…
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to assist the country achieve its development goals. The bank’s Pacific Department Director General Xianbin Yaomade the offer during the opening of ADB’s Extended Mission in Solomon Islands (EMSOL) office on Friday. “We are expanding our presence in the Solomon Islands because we are here to help,” Yao stated.…
MINISTER of Finance and Treasury, Snyder Rini has rejected Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) investment proposals. These projects includes a lending bank, Malaita Telekom House and purchasing 15% shares of Pan Oceanic Bank through selling its shares in South Pacific Oil (SPO). Rini told Parliament when he winded the debate of the $4.1 billion…
Moves to increase safety standards for fisheries observers have run into unexpected headwinds to the Tuna Commission leaving Pacific negotiators frustrated. The Pacific through the Forum Fisheries Agency now has over 800 observers in the region deployed on fishing vessels, mainly on purse seine vessels which have 100% coverage. Less than 5% coverage of the…
AN outspoken man from Russell Islands has called on the government to take the lead in any reconciliation program amongst tribes in Russell islands. Simon Geataven said this after a group of foreign investor – Land Economic Management & Conservation (LEMCO) with locals have visited the islands and organized a reconciliation ceremony with tribes Keruval,…
THE country’s tourism industry has closed off Q3 in positive mode with international visitor arrival figures for the nine-month period January – September showing a solid 4.5 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2015. Official figures released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office this week show a total of 16,381 visitors arrived…
THE Pacific Ocean and those who depend on its fish face a growing crisis, according to Greenpeace. So the environmental organisation has decided to take a new approach in its efforts to persuade the body tasked with setting fishing rules – the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) – to live up to its…