$3.7 BILLION BUDGET

A total of more than $3.7 billion of the 2018 Appropriation Bill was passed on the floor of parliament on Monday. This was made possible after a lengthy consultation at the committee of supply, since Thursday last week that finally ended yesterday afternoon. The Bill went for its third reading at the committee of supply…

HMNZS Moa 75th anniversary commemorated

  THE New Zealand High Commission Office in Honiara in collaboration with Royal Navy New Zealand (RNZN) has marked the 75th anniversary memorial service of the HMNZS Moa which sunk in Tulagi, Central Province on the 7th of April, 1942 during the Second World War. The commemoration service was held at Moa’s wreck site, Tulagi…

Heads of mission briefed on MACFest

  Diplomatic Missions in Solomon Islands have been briefed on current preparations to host the 6th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest) in Honiara in July this year. The briefing at Mendana Hotel was conducted by the MACFest National Organizing Committee on Thursday. A statement from the committee said, this was to update the diplomatic…

Police safely remove bomb in East Honiara

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) has safely removed un-exploded bomb found at the Panatina Creek in East Honiara on Thursday, 05 April 2018. The RSIPF EOD responded to a report saying a bomb was sighted by children close to their home at Panatina. Officer-In-charge of RSIPF EOD, Inspector Tunuki…

London office costs $3.5m

The newly established London Mission cost government $3.5 million compared to $1.5 million cost for Brussels and $1.1 million office in New York this year. Speaking on the floor of parliament during the committee of supply, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Milner Tozaka said, the London mission cost $3.5 million because it is…

Parasi airfield sets to reopen

PARASI airfield in South Malaita, which has been closed for the past seven years, is now ready to take-scheduled flights. This was made possible after the government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between three disputing parties that claimed ownership of the airport land in September 2017. “The Airport Taskforce led by the Ministry of…