LEADER of Opposition Matthew Wale has described Finance Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s press conference on Sunday as extremely disappointing but not surprising. Wale said, instead of apologizing for deceiving the nation about his hypocrisy and bad decisions in granting almost $200m in exemptions from Jan to September 2024, Sogavare instead sought to justify his actions. The…
The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions (SICTU) conveys deep concern regarding recent events surrounding tax exemptions in our country. During a press conference, the Finance Minister mentioned that all tax exemptions he approved were also endorsed by the Tax Exemption Board under his purview. However, SICTU remains sceptical of this explanation and is troubled…
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has delivered a leadership development course for 60 Solomon Islands public servants in Honiara, in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Public Service (MPS). The course, Building and Leading High Performing Teams by the Australian Public Service Academy, will help managers create and maintain high-performing teams where work…
The Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey (MLHS) observed World Town Planning Day on Friday 8th November 2024. The ceremony was attended by key figures including Permanent Secretary (PS) Stanley Waleanisia, former Director of Physical Planning Rowley Wanega, current Director of Physical Planning Cindy Vunagi, and Director of Housing Joan Toben on Friday, November 8th,…
The Honiara City Council (HCC) has passed a policy for the removal of tints in all public vehicles. Mayor Eddie Siapu announced this in a statement issued by the Honiara City Council (HCC). “The removal of tinted public vehicles conditions has been passed by the City Council and is awaiting the gazette before the end…
UNITED Kingdom (UK) in partnership with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification has launched a technical assistance facility to support Solomon Islands to establish an independent energy regulator. The energy regulator is an essential part of the government’s plan to transform the energy sector in Solomon Islands – increasing generation, bringing in investment…
The Malaita Provincial Government (MPG) plans to launch its Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) initiative next month. The launching is being planned for December 4, 2024. Its the first time the province is introducing such a program which is aimed at supporting micro and medium enterprises in the province. The MSME initiative is designed to promote and encourage the growth of small…
The University of the South Pacific (USP) academics are once again featured in the global Top 2% Scientists List based on their citations and publications. Professor Ahmed Rafiuddin has been featured on the List for five consecutive years, with Professor Surendra Prasad featured since 2022. Created by Standford University using data provided by Elsevier, the world’s leading…
Lesley Sanga is a farmer in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province. He is a former reporter of Solomon Star, but now doing what he loves most which is farming. He is now the advisor oat the Gwaunafiu Organic Farm School in Central Kwara’ae. In an interview with this newspaper, Sanga shared his insights of being a…
A JOINT archaeological research project conducted by the Solomon Islands National Museum and the German Archaeological Institute has unveiled groundbreaking discoveries about early human settlements in the Solomon Islands. The research project, conducted in 2010, found that people settled in Solomon Islands dating back to 6000 BP (Before Present). The research was conducted at various…