UPGRADES to the Santa Cruz Airfield in Temotu Province are progressing steadily, marking a significant milestone in the Solomon Islands Government’s commitment to enhancing the nation’s aviation infrastructure.  The SBD 117 million upgrade is supported by the World Bank under the Second Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project (SIRAP2) and is being managed by the Ministry of Communication and Aviation (MCA), with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Limited as the contractor and Egis as the supervising consultant. Phase 1 of the project, expected to take 6 to7 months, includes site clearing, topsoil stripping, and base course preparation. Completed tasks so far include clearing, backfilling, and preparing the laydown and quarry sites. The workforce comprises 37 people, including 15 locals (13 men and 2 women) and 22 international workers.  Runway embankment construction. Photos SIRAP. Material and equipment have been shipped from Papua New Guinea to Lata via Honiara. Three barges carrying...

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) on Monday 13th January 2025, released the National Examination and Placement Results for Years 9,11 and 12. This was after the Minister of Education, Hon. Tozen Leokana signed off the release of the results. This is in accordance with section 64 (1) of the Education Act 2023, Part 3, Division 1(20)(1) and 3(22)(1) which provides provisions for the Secondary Education Certificate Scheme. In his statement, Hon Leokana congratulated all the students for their successful examination results despite the many obstacles that may affected their learning. He also noted the challenges the staff of the National Examination and Assessment Division encountered in the administration of the examinations, and thanked the staff for their commitment to sort, analyse and release the 2024 cohort of students’ examination and placement results. He stated that from the results presented – there will be a lot of...

The National Statistics Office, NSO, is resuming the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, HIES, 2024-2025 from rounds 10 to 22 towards 48 field rounds by mid-October 2025, after a break for the Christmas and New Year festivities. The survey resumed on Monday 6th January 2024 with enumeration in the selected Enumerated Areas within all provinces and Honiara, and villages and communities should expect to see a Statistics survey team coming to interview their households.    On Thursday 10th January 2024, the Project Manager for the Building Capacity in Statistics and Audit, CAPSA which comprises of the HIES, Gordon Denty and Resident Statistics Adviser Dr Cengiz Ozkan went out to observe Honiara’s HIES Team 4 in April Valley, East Honiara. They were able to see firsthand the progress and practicality of the interview questions and how the participants respond.  They were particularly interested in the length of time it took for...

THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka has called on the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Honiara, Morris Toiraena to elaborate on his call for “change.” This follows MP Toiraena’s appeal to his colleagues to transform the spirit of Parliament, which he described as being perceived by the public as a house influenced by ‘self-interest, corruption, and personal gain.’ Speaking during the sine die motion debate in Parliament last month, Minister Shanel criticised MP Toiraena for failing to provide clarity on the change for which he advocates. He argued that tangible developments, such as the construction of the National Sports Stadium, roads, and bridges by both past (Democratic Coalition for Change Government) and present government (Government for National Unity and Transformation) represent real change. “All trade agreements we’ve signed, including those for agriculture and fisheries, and our non-reciprocal agreements—these are the changes we’ve achieved,” Minister...

Fresh food vendors at Honiara’s Central Market say the construction of the western extension has transformed their lives, with improved business and livelihoods. The SBD10 million Australian-supported project was completed last year by local company Tropic Group Builders in partnership with Honiara City Council. The extension provides undercover space for 100 vendors, protecting them and their goods from harsh weather conditions. Ms Monica Justus from the Honiara Central Market Vendors Association expressed her sincere thanks to Australia for the extension works. “This development has provided more comfort and boosted sales for market vendors,” Ms Justus said. Local vendor Mr Daniel Thogole who has been selling vegetables at the market for over ten years said the undercover extension is transformational for him and his family. “Before the extension, I used to sit in the hot sun all day, with my vegetables exposed to the heat,” Mr Thogole explained. “Rainy days were...

Permanent Secretary (PS) Stanley Waleanisia has been reappointed to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey (MLHS). Mr. Waleanisia from Malaita Province was sworn in on Wednesday by the Governor General, His Excellency Reverend David Tiva Kapu to formalize his appointment. He was first appointed Permanent Secretary to the Ministry on 12 March 2012, a position he held consecutively on four-yearly contracts until his recent reappointment. Before his initial appointment as Permanent Secretary in 2012, Waleanisia was the Under Secretary to the Ministry from 2010 to mid-2012. He also served as the Government’s Valuer-General from 2007 to 2008. Waleanisia holds a Master of Property Studies from the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. He earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Real Estate Valuation from the University of the South Pacific (USP).  In 2006 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Land Management (Double Major in Land Management and Geomatics Survey)...

The Honiara City Council (HCC) Physical Planning Division and the Honiara Planning and Development Board remind all residents of Honiara that it is a legal requirement to obtain building permits before undertaking any construction or development activities. This includes constructing new buildings, property fencing, soil excavation, tree cutting, renovations, and constructing retaining walls within Honiara City. Property owners must submit their applications to the Physical Planning Division for review and approval. Applications must include the following: Fix Estate Title (FTE) Complete Design Plan Type (Site Plan) UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) Report Environmental Report (Depends on the proposed plan) Engineer report (Depends on the scale of the proposed plan) Development fees will also be charged to property owners. Applicants are advised that non-compliance with this mandatory process will result in legal action. The Physical Planning Division emphasizes that this process ensures that all developments within Honiara are safe, environmentally sustainable, and aligned...

The Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele, MP, highlighted the importance of the Bina Harbor project to the new Japanese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Higuchi Keiichi, during the latter’s courtesy introductory call, Thursday. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) prioritized the project and that it was one of the main highlights in the discussion with Japan’s Prime Minister at the recent Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) in Tokyo, Japan. He stated that the Bina Harbor project will yield many benefits, including the provision of employment opportunities, and that it will serve as a major infrastructure development for Malaita Province. PM Manele further underscored that the government welcomes Japan’s contribution to the project. Prime Minister Manele acknowledged Japan’s development assistance and aid to the Solomon Islands over the last four decades, citing that Japan is one of the traditional partners of the...

Japan’s new Ambassador to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Keiichi Hagiuchi, formally presented his Letter of Credentials to the Governor General, His Excellency Rev. David Tipa Kapu, during a ceremony held today, Thursday. Ambassador Hagiuchi, who has been appointed as the Resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Solomon Islands, also used the occasion to present the Letter of Recall for his predecessor, His Excellency Miwa Yoshiaki, whose term concluded last year. In his address, Ambassador Hagiuchi extends the greetings of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and his desires to maintain and promote the friendship and good will that exists between Japan and Solomon Islands. The Ambassador further acknowledge the opportunity to serve in Solomon Islands where there are opportunities to further promote and expand relations with Japan in many fields. “I am firmly determined to do my best to fulfill my important missions, in such a manner as...

PREPARATIONS for the China-funded Auki Tar Seal Road Project in Malaita are progressing smoothly and Malaita Premier Elijah Asilaua has expressed satisfaction over the headway and reaffirmed his government’s full support for the successful implementation of the crucial undertaking.  The contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Ltd, is now in full swing with the setup of their campsite near the Aligegeo Provincial Secondary School. The campsite will house the contractor’s office, accommodation for workers and the storage of material for the implementation of the project. In an update on the progress of the project, CCECC shared that significant strides have been made. “Camp setup is progressing rapidly, with eight container houses installed, temporary water and power supplies set up, site clearing in progress, and access road construction underway.  “The perimeter fencing and the Aligegeo School diversion have been completed,” it stated Executive members of the Malaita Provincial Government toured...