MORE reports have disclosed people mostly in the Islands and lagoons have been engaging again in harvesting beche-de-mer, (BDM) with news of the soon to be lifted ban circulating throughout the country. Many more local and foreign businessmen are also reported to be buying BDM from rural people, and many more are seeking BDM licenses…
THE newly established Pan Oceanic Bank (POB) Monday started a new exercise aimed at cutting down the long queues at the bank. This involved providing numbers that customers can collect, with only the first 100 allowed to see bank officers, especially those checking on their loans. This exercise has however come under heavy criticism from…
FIFTEEN farmers are closely working with the marketing unit, agriculture planning division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MALS) to export their local produce overseas. Chief field officer Noel Roposi said, MALS had linked fifteen farmers with overseas interested buyers to kick off trading. “Since MAL put out this privilege, many farmers approached us…
A three-day media training organised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kicked off Monday in Suva, Fiji. The training brought together about ten business/economic reporters from around the region which included Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. A majority of the media personnel are from the various media outlets in Fiji.…
MEMBER of Parliament for Temotu Pele Martin Magga has died late on Monday night. Mr Maga had been battling a long illness that left him on a wheel chair since 2009. The Reef Islander born November 11, 1953 is a backbencher in the current government. He entered Parliament during the 2006 National General Election and…
RNZI: The number of people affected by chikungunya in Samoa has increased from 51 to 269 in the last two weeks. The Ministry of Health Director General, Leausa Tole’afoa Dr Take Naseri, says an ongoing clean up and spraying of mosquito breeding sites is continuing with aircraft and ships being sprayed. He says laboratory tests…
RNZI: A Papua New Guinea lawyer says the government’s amendment to the constitution to allow asylum seekers to be transferred to PNG was invalid and should be rejected by the Supreme Court. Loani Henao is representing the leader of the opposition, Belden Namah in his quest to challenge the agreement between PNG and Australia, which…
A TOTAL of 62 phone calls for police intervention have been recorded by police last week, five less than the previous week (67). Of the calls, police made 35 arrests. According to data released by police, disturbances and disorderly behaviour as a result of alcohol, continued to be a major problem in the society. From…
PRIME Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo says the Government is making progress to address issues of political instability to higher cost of running businesses especially electricity prices. Speaking during the Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum and Trade Expo in Brisbane, Australia last Friday, Mr Lilo said those challenges are being worked on. He said in the…
Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo says the Australian-operated Gold Ridge mine remains viable despite recent security concerns and mass layoffs. Unrest around the mine site in central Guadalcanal has escalated in recent days, leading to the evacuation of all of Gold Ridge’s expatriate staff. Mr Darcy Lilo has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program that…