Western Province (WP) will continue to give priority to local businesses when it comes to land investment opportunities in the province. This assurance was made by Premier of Western Province Premier Billy Veo during an interview with this paper last week. Premier Billy Veo said the provincial government recognizes the crucial role local businesses play…
Construction work on the China-aided Auki Road Project in Malaita Province has been progressing steadily since its commencement on 10 April 2025. According to a recent update shared on the China-Aid Auki Road Project Facebook page, all main roads within the Auki town area have now been fully repaired. The upgrades have significantly improved driving…
The Livelihood Forest Ecosystem Recovery (LIFER) research project—a six-year initiative focused on restoring degraded forest ecosystems and improving community livelihoods—is actively engaging with six communities in the Western Province of Solomon Islands. Launched in November 2022, the project is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). LIFER addresses the urgent need to…
EVERYONE – from a child to an adult in Solomon Islands today – knows what the Constituency Development Fund, CDF for short, is. It is a scheme created by Parliament to provide funding for micro-economic projects or small projects at the Constituency level with good intention. At first, the level of funding was very modest.…
Traditional landowners in North Vella, Western Province have raised concerns over what they describe as the Western Provincial Government’s (WPG) repeated dismissal of mining prospectus proposals without proper consultation. The landowners representative told the Solomon Star in an interview last week that they had cautiously agreed to allow a mining company to conduct mineral prospecting…
WHEN Donald Trump is earnestly waiting for nations impacted by his ” Reciprocal Tariff ” to seek bilateral negotiation with him during the 90-day reprieve, President Xi Jinping’s state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia last week is widely viewed as a strong endorsement for the robust China-ASEAN partnership. In the case of Malaysia, Xi’s…
THE Trade Dispute Panel has granted the recognition award to Workers Union of Solomon Islands (WUSI) in its ruling last week. This came after 374 workers of Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) voted in favour of WUSI to represent them during the secret ballot held in Honiara and Noro in Western province recently. Only seven…
The Building Capacity in Statistics and Audit (CAPSA) Project marked a significant milestone with the successful hosting of its Project Operations Manual (POM) Workshop on Monday, 14th April 2025 at the National Statistics Office (NSO). Facilitated by Mr. Philip Bottern, a World Bank Consultant, the workshop provided critical guidance on project implementation frameworks to key stakeholders. The workshop brought together the Government…
The people of South East Vella la Vella (SEV) Constituency, Western Province have taken a bold and uncompromising stand to declare their opposition to any proposed mining activities on their land. Instead they are championing environmental conservation and sustainable future rooted in the principles of the Green and Blue Economy. This firm declaration follows a…
Plans are underway to establish a mushroom farm at Mile 6, just outside of Gizo town in Western province. Its a move aimed at boosting local food production and creating new income opportunities for communities and the province. The initiative is spearheaded by Western Provincial Government (WPG) in collaboration with Fujian Province under People’s Republic…