No more logging on Renbel

IN a government bid to remove the ‘in-danger status’ of the country’s only World Heritage Site at East Rennell, the government through a cabinet decision will revoke and refuse granting of felling licence on Rennell Island. This was revealed by Minister of Environment and Conservation Samuel Manetoali during the three-day round table meeting with East…

Deal to destroy blue boats sealed

THE Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and a local company on Friday has paved the way for the Vietnamese Blue Boats destruction. Fisheries Director Edward Honiwala signed on behalf of the ministry while Wale Tobata for Iona Firi Properties Limited – the company. Under the terms and conditions…

Challenges to opening Lomlom

MINISTER of Aviation and Communication Peter Shanel Agovaka is faced with the challenge of clearing ministerial issues shelved by past political governments. Mr Agovaka said this when contacted by the Solomon Star regarding the Lomlom airstrip development in the Reef Islands of Temotu Province after a landowner raised concerns about the issue of incomplete payments…

TSI praises work of JANUS

TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) has congratulated JANUS following its arrest of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Henry Murray and his wife this week. Murray has been charged with 19 counts of official corruption. His wife faces 19 counts of false pretence. These were in relation to a company they set up…

Silent achiever

Meet artist Nelson Horipua THERE are those whose achievements are often celebrated. Equally but regrettably, there are those whose attainments deemed insignificant and often gone unnoticed despite their importance to society. One such group is our artists, whose works received little or no accolade regardless of their economic contributions. This may be because of our…

History in stone

I OFTEN wondered why people of Lau in Malaita Province had to endure such a tedious and laborious task of building artificial islands whilst there is vast uninhabited land on the mainland.    This question has led me on the quest for answers and to right the many myths surrounding the “Salt Water” people as they…

SINU unveils site for new research facility

THE Solomon Islands National University (SINU) on Friday unveiled the site for its Science Research Complex under the School of Natural Resources and Applied Science at Kukum Campus, despite government’s failure to give it its promised grant of $50 million do this year. Ground breaking was done by the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Agriculture…

Force strengthened with 69 new officers

SEVERAL hundred guests including parents, family members and friends, senior officers of the Government and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force today witnessed the graduation of 69 recruits as new police constables into the Force. Thirty-five male and 34 female officers representing all the provinces in Solomon Islands graduated from the Mrs Hilda Kari 2017…

COUPLE FACE 38 COUNTS

·      Murray and wife allegedly set up company in 2014 ·      Krash Transport & Marketing allegedly received $1.1m of public funds ·      Couple ordered to pay cash bail of $10,000 each ·      Wife allegedly used ‘maiden name’ to conceal relationship A TOP public officer and his wife accused of defrauding the government of more than…