SO the World Bank has approved an additional US$1.5 million (SBD$11.9 million) to extend the Rapid Employment Project (REP) until December 2016. The bank announced this great news on Tuesday. It’s great news because REP is a project that has made significant difference to lives of many ordinary Solomon Islanders on the outskirts of Honiara.…
THE Magistrate Court yesterday handed down a 30 days imprisonment sentence for a female betelnut vendor after she continues to disobey the Honiara City Council laws by doing business along the streets of Honiara by selling betel nut and cigarettes. This was in relation to breaching the Council’s ordinances and illegally selling betelnut at the…
Congratulation is the word that Team Solomons deserve for their exceptional performance in the recent Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Over the past weeks, the country stands united and proud following the achievement of our contingent to the 15th Pacific Games. No doubt its history for the country in getting the…
WE all want our government to support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua’s (ULMWP) bid for membership of the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG). Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare last Thursday responded to that call. The Government, he says, will vote to bring West Papua into the MSG fold on “observer status”. The highly anticipated announcement…
UNDER the Mining Act, an operator is only allowed to hold three tenements at a time. Anything other than that is illegal. So why did PT Mega Bintang Borneo of Indonesia reportedly owned 11 tenements under different names but with the same directors and yet continued to be allowed to operate in the country? Surely,…
SOLOMON Airlines took a major step this week with the launch of its new and direct route to and from Sydney, Australia. The flight leaves Honiara on Mondays, returning the next day. There are several reasons why this direct route is important for Solomon Airlines, Solomon Islands, and Australia. Firstly, Sydney is the commercial hub…
MEDIA workers marked World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday night in Honiara – three weeks after the official designated day on May 3. The celebrations may have come a bit late, but it was worth the time and money spent to mark the occasion at the Honiara Hotel. Media workers across the world celebrated this…
The need for police and immigration presence at our common border with neighbours Papua New Guinea is urgent than even. Right now, the border was left unattended by these responsible authorities. While historically people living on both sides of the border were blood related, this does not mean cross-border activities should be allowed to go…
SOMETHING is not right within the Honiara City Council. And it needs to be fixed. Urgently! Our front page story today rigs of the corruption that has permeated our government system over the years. When mayor Alfrence Fatai came into the council late last year, he reportedly uncovered corruption in the way contracts have been…
NEWS coming from the troubled and enclosed nation of West Papua over the weekend are historic. Indonesian president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo granted clemency to five political prisoners who have been serving various jail terms for their alleged role in a raid on an Indonesian Armed Forces weapons arsenal in Wamena on 4 April 2003. The…