Sick officers still receive salaries

A number of police officers who are sick and no longer working are still drawing salaries from the state and occupying police houses, the Sunday Star can reveal. Two such officers are living in Honiara, while one is in Buala, Isabel. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service Ishmael Avui could not be reached…

NZ govt acknowledged over new bridge

PEOPLE of northwest Guadalcanal have acknowledged the New Zealand government for the newly completed Mataniko Bailey bridge. Northwest Guadalcanal chief John Kaoni said his people really appreciated the support by the New Zealand Government in supplying the new bridge after the old bridge was destroyed in the April 3rd flash flooding in Honiara. Mr Kaoni…

SI prepares for MSG arts festival

Solomon Islands is ready to participate at the upcoming 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture in Papua New Guinea. The festival opening ceremony will begin on June 28th in Port Moresby and will run for two weeks ending on July 11. The Government is sending a contingent of 168 participants who will take part…

Deal for Fiu hydro-power project sealeds

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday signed with the Solomon Islands grant and loan agreements to help the Government boost energy access and renewable energy generation in Auki, the capital of Malaita province. Signing the assistance package—which includes a $6 million loan and $6 million grant—was ADB Vice-President Lakshmi Venkatachalam and Solomon Islands Minister of…

Sisilo tells ANZ: Pour in more money into trade, investment

“In its current bilateral form, development assistance from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) allows only little that directly benefits the development of the private sector in Forum Island Countries (FICs) in general and trade and investment in particular.  “This will not have significant effects on the development of trade in goods by FICs.” This is…

New entertainment at airport

Visitors and returning residents arriving at the Honiara International Airport are now being treated to local music entertainment. Solomon Island Visitors Bureau (SIVB) has contracted several local bands to provide entertainment at the arrival lounge each day. SIVB board chairman Wilson Ne’e said the idea was to make visitors feel welcome as they get off…

Community child forum held

SAVE the Children (SC) last week held a community child forum for communities within the Central Kwara’ae region of Malaita province. The forum which was part of Save the Children’s Communities Child Protection Project (CCPP) was aimed at informing and making known to both children and the communities of the issues of concern with regards…

New machine to screen cervical cancer here

Cervical cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related deaths for women in Solomon Islands, according to health authorities. Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr Cedric Alependava revealed this, Thursday. He was speaking at the handing over of an important medical device called “Colposcope” by the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation to the Ministry…

Malaria workers to collect data

A week long training conducted for malaria workers on data collection and slide testing ended, Thursday. The training was part of preparing malaria workers for an indicator survey to be conducted in the provinces. Malaria Vector Borne Disease Programme within the Ministry of Health facilitated the training. More than 60 malaria workers participated in the…

NZ funds new eye care centre here

The New Zealand Government is contributing $3.8 million to the Fred Hollows Foundation to build a new eye clinic in the Solomon Islands. The state-of-the-art centre will double the number of patients that doctors can treat there. Luke Teaman was blind for 20 years because of cataracts. After a 20 minute surgery, his sight was…