“Aid dependency, resource dependency, and natural disasters remain huge challenges for the region.” Securing long-term economic viability remains a challenge for the Melanesian states, with geographic isolation, climate change, natural disasters, and aid dependency presenting significant problems for these relatively young countries. Vanuatu has a population of 270,000 and a GDP of $771 million. Designing an…
Dear Editor – Grateful if my letter could be slotted in your paper at anytime convenient. I would like to raise a concern regarding short bus routes. If my memory serves me right, there was a petition presented to members of parliament to look into and come up with ways whereby this short bus route…
Dear Editor – Interestingly after much outrage and calls from the opposition, civil society and the general public in the media for SSPM Andrew Muaki to resign and further calls for the Prime Minister to leave up to his ideologies and promises, hence, should immediately sacked or terminated his SSPM, there appears to be no…
Dear Editor – Thank you for allowing a space in your paper to express my disgust in relation to an article penned by Alfred Sasako which appeared in the Island sun newspaper. The article was about the appointment of a new CEO for Solomon Airlines. I was very surprised to see Sasako firing the first…
Dear Editor – Regarding the now widely published, termination of Ron Sumsum as CEO Solomon Airlines, some reports give the impression that Sumsum was removed for shutting the airline down last week. In fact, the new CEO John McCormick was appointed on 1st June, nearly a week before the shutdown. The new CEO must have…
Last week in Port Vila, a new Melanesian Free Trade Agreement was reached by Trade Ministers from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, the members of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The new trade agreement, which took three years of negotiations, after signatures by MSG Leaders and ratification by parliament, will be known as…
ON 9th of December 2015 during the marking of the International Anti-Corruption Day the nation, applauded as they listened to our Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, declared to the nation his government’s commitment to bring about various legislative reforms to tackle corruption within the public sector, the private sector and in any environment where there is…
Dear Editor – Honiara City is one of or the only dirtiest city in the Pacific Islands in terms of littering. At this point, I don’t throw this to any one in particular. Everyday, everywhere in the city is rubbish all over the place. Well done to our City Council for providing rubbish bins,atleast you…
Dear Editor – Professor Tarcisius Tara Kubutaulaka’s article ‘ Don’t be bullied, Indonesia is not Melanesia’ (Solomon Star May 28) makes the choice for Pacific Islanders of Melanesian background very clear and unambiguous. They have the choice to stand with the oppressed people of West Papua or with their Indonesian oppressors. In making the choice…
GWAUNARU’U Airport near Auki, Malaita, reopened Monday this week. This was after more than two years of closure due to disputes amongst landowners. The financial loss the closure had on Malaita as a province was catastrophic. Solomon Airlines, as the service provider, experienced similar losses. The reopening of the airport is not only welcomed news,…