SOLOMON Islands maintains its ban on the importation of pork products from Australia due to ongoing concerns over the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). The ban was imposed in March 2020 following the global outbreak of ASF. An Officer from the Biosecurity Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Julianne Mosa told Solomon Star…
A THREE-DAY training called ‘Bluepreneurship-Waste to Wonder’ of turning plastics into opportunities empowerment and waste processing convened in Honiara last week. The hybrid training held at the Saint Barnabas Leaf Hut was designed to empower and equip 20-30 women, youth, and people with disabilities with basic entrepreneurship skills and knowledge on processing waste into valuable…
Gold-buying outlets in Honiara remain open for business despite a three-month moratorium approved by the Cabinet last month. The Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification (MMERE) imposed the moratorium in response to continued gold purchases from illegal miners at the Gold Ridge mining operation in Central Guadalcanal. According to an officer from the Mines…
FORM six students of Jones Adventist College (JAC) located in North Vella, Western Province have been encouraged to place their trust in God so that they can face the world out there once they leave high school. The encouraging message was shared by Pr Steve Aquilla, Youth Director of the Solomon Islands Mission (SIM) of…
MALAITA Province is qualified again for the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) program after a two-year hiatus. A recent report indicated that the province had previously failed to meet three minimum conditions. These included the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) failure to scrutinize the 2020-2021 Audit Report within 21 days of receiving the audit opinion, issues related to procurement and outstanding payments for…
The Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele has acknowledged the outgoing Director-General of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Dr. Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen, for her outstanding contributions to the FFA over the last two decades. Prime Minister Manele acknowledged Dr. Manu, as she is affectionately known, during a farewell dinner hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister…
A specialized six-week training in Dash-8 aircraft maintenance was recently completed by Solomon Airlines engineering team. Led by an experienced instructor from Queensland Aerospace College (QAC) in Brisbane, Australia, the training aimed to advance local aviation expertise and was funded by the World Bank under the Second Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project (SIRAP2), which…
LEADER of Opposition Hon Matthew Wale has questioned why discretionary exemptions have continued to be granted despite assurances by the Minister of Finance in Parliament to cancel past exemptions and halt future ones as of June 2024. In a statement on Friday, Hon Wale said the Finance Minister was very animated in making this announcement…
In a move Tourism Solomons says will have major ramifications for the Solomon Islands dive industry, Honiara-based Bilikiki Cruises has joined resources with fellow liveaboard dive boat expert Emperor Divers. Under the new arrangement, Bilikiki Cruises’ live-aboard cruise programs will now comprise part of the Singapore-based Emperor Divers’ existing international dive portfolio which includes Egypt,…
Solomon Islands and New Zealand convened their annual High-Level Consultation (HLC) on Thursday, November 7, 2024, in Honiara. Senior officials from both nations attended, with Solomon Islands delegation led by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Collin Beck. This consultation provided an important platform for the two countries to discuss…