Opposition: Increase agriculture allocation

OPPOSITION Leader, Jeremiah Manele says the government needs to increase its allocation in the 2017 budget to the agriculture sector. Manele pointed this out in Parliament yesterday after the government allocated only $45m to the sector. He said they need to increase the budget allocations to the agriculture sector especially for cocoa, coconut and kava…

Archaeologists find huge amounts of lithic products in East Are’Are

THE Solomon Islands National Museum is proposing a special exhibition for materials excavated from a site at Apunirereha, East Are’Are in Malaita Province. These materials were excavated under an archaeological cooperation project between the Solomon Islands National Museum (SINM) and the Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures of the German Archaeological Institute which started in…

Accused to represent himself

A MAN facing a number of criminal charges in relation to the alleged abduction of a Chinese man in 2013 has decided to represent himself in court on Wednesday. Eddie Funubana has been left without a lawyer on the last court appearance. Public Solicitor’s lawyer Clifton Ruele withdrawn his legal representation on reason that Funubana…

‘Come Join the Anti-Corruption Walk’

Corruption impacts negatively on our future, our children’s future, our resources, our democracy and the development of Solomon Islands, its people and natural resources and urges everyone to unite and to take a stand against it. This is the message for the 2016 International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD). This year the theme for the International Anti-Corruption…

FSII to protest over Govt on corruption

Forum Solomon Islands International (FSII) members will mark the International Anti-corruption Day this Friday with a peaceful protest over government failures to fight against corruption. President of FSII’s Benjamin Afuga said, normally on such occasion it is good time for the government, civil societies including lobby groups to raise issues and awareness about corruption. He…

Hou: 2017 budget disappointing

CHAIRMAN of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Rick Hou says after examining the 2017 budget, he is disappointed that the good intentions may not be achieved through this budget. Speaking on Tuesday in parliament on the budget, Mr Hou said unlike the previous two budgets, the 2017 one is somewhat unclear as to the policy…

Constituent concern on cross-boundary voters

A SAVO Russell Islands constituent wants the Electoral Commission to implement measures that will stop people from registering to vote in constituencies which they don’t reside in. The concerned constituent Tim Ngelea raised this concern after witnessing the lack of development in the Savo Russell Islands Constituency. He said people are finding difficulty accessing funds…

PNA bid to control longline fishing

THE eight Pacific nations and Tokelau that make up the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) are seeking more control over the little-scrutinised longline fishing industry in the Pacific. While purse seine fishing boats are required to carry an independent observer to report on catches, the PNA is imposing its own measures on longline vessels…