A senior delegation from Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) visited Australia for the first time ever, to deepen engagement with Australia’s largest superannuation and investment funds and gain insights to support members’ retirement plans.
SINPF Deputy Chair Riley Mesepitu, CEO Mike Wate and Investments Director Jennifer Lakoa met with some of Australia’s largest and most successful superannuation funds.
Australia’s Future Fund (with investments valued at over SBD1 trillion) and the Queensland Investment Corporation (with investments valued at over SBD580 billion) updated the delegation about the rapidly changing global investment environment and practical steps the two funds have taken to strengthen returns for their members.
SINPF is the country’s largest investment fund with a portfolio of around SBD4.3 billion in investment assets across a growing pipeline of projects in Solomon Islands and overseas.
SINPF plays a critical role in managing the retirement savings of Solomon Islanders making investments that generate sufficient returns to support members’ retirement plans.
SINPF also met with Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the world’s largest green bank, to better understand the growing portfolio of clean energy investments and projects that deliver high returns and support the environment.
Deputy Chair Mesepitu said “the visit provided valuable insights into Australia’s leading superannuation and investment funds, particularly in making high-return, future-focused investments.
“These lessons are timely as we explore opportunities in more sustainable sectors like energy. I was especially impressed by the Future Fund model, which offers important perspectives the Solomon Islands Government could consider alongside SINPF”.
Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Rod Hilton said, “the visit demonstrated the growing economic potential between our two countries. Australia’s superannuation and investment are some of the biggest in the world with a proud track record of delivering for their members in retirement.
“These funds are increasingly interested in working with others and this visit was an important step in deepening these partnerships to encourage greater investments between our two countries”.
The delegation was also joined by Papua New Guinea’s Nafund CEO and PNG Nambawan Super, two of the PNG’s largest superannuation funds to share their experiences and perspectives. This also helped to deepen links between PNG and SINPF and expand the potential for more investment opportunities between Solomon Islands and PNG.
- AHC
