Friday, January 20th, 2017
Airline has great opportunities: Gerbers
SOLOMON Airlines new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brett Gerbers has assured that the national carrier has great opportunities. “It’s an airline with a great opportunities otherwise I would not come here, there are plenty of opportunities around the world to go and work,” he told this paper in an interview this week. Mr Gerbers said Solomon Islands is part of the last group of unspoilt islands in the world. “That will attract certain types of person who would like to come and spend time in the pristine clean beautiful waterRead More
Auki public uneasy over Chinese influx
PUBLIC in Auki have raised concerns on the increasing migration of Chinese into the capital town of Malaita, Auki, for business purposes. Speaking to this paper yesterday, David Defe says that currently the majority of shops in Auki are owned by Chinese, and it is a slap on the face of indigenous Malaitans. It is a common longing to see that businesses in Malaita should be dominated by indigenous locals, and Mr Defe feels that it is high time that Malaitans rally together and organise themselves to turn this intoRead More
Opposition query relocation of MRD office
THE Parliamentary Opposition Group has raised serious concerns over the relocation of the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) office to Ranadi. In a statement today, the Opposition Group says the building is understood to be owned by Chengs Construction Company at the Ranadi industrial site, which is a motel. According to information gathered, it is understood that the rental has doubled the monthly rent at the old SMI building. “Why do the Minister and the PS choose to relocate the office to Ranadi? The location is not only inconvenient butRead More
RSIPF Fire Service receives million-dollar facility
ROYAL Solomon Island Police Fire Service yesterday received a world-class million-dollar facility. Police Commissioner Frank Prendergast said the new facility is another visible sign of commitment of the RSIPF to better serve the community. “And we are expecting the service that we are delivering will improve,” Mr Prendergast said. He also said that the new facility will serve the country for a long time and also called on the communities to support police in their work. He said there will be education and awareness in relation to fire prevention andRead More
PM’s link with Bintan ‘highly suspicious’
THE Parliamentary Opposition Group says text messages revealing the Prime Ministers connection with Bintan Limited has put the integrity of the Prime Minister into serious question. In a statement today, the Opposition Group says direct text messages between a Bintan executive with the Prime Minister has raised a lot of questions. “The Opposition believes there are relevant authorities and ministry to deal with such matters. By directly caught pre-empting the outcome of a Cabinet decision through text messages raises a lot of distrust and suspicion in the Prime Minister’s connectionsRead More
Cabinet decision on bauxite a disgrace: Opposition
THE Parliamentary Opposition Group says the Cabinet’s decision to give zero duty to Bintan Company to export bauxite is not in the best interest of our people and the economy of this country. In a statement today, it says the people of Solomon Islands must hold the Prime Minister and his Cabinet responsible for giving away millions of dollars of peoples’ money to a foreign company. As such the Opposition Group has lashed out at the response by the Chairman of Caucus in trying to defend the Prime Minister’s textRead More
Call to reinstate George Kosui as PS
MEMBER of Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and Trade (ICCT) has called on the government to reinstate Mr George Kosui as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration. Speaking to this paper Mr Star Dora said investigation into allegations against Mr Kosui proved nothing serious and that Mr Kosui should be reinstated. He said the absence of Mr Kosui has caused major setback to investors especially the indigenous people of Solomon Islands who are striving for business excellence in the country. Mr Dora said there are importantRead More
Solomon airlines’ new CEO to outline his vision for the national carrier
SOLOMON Airline’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gebers Brett William, is expected to outline his vision for the national carrier in a meeting in Honiara later today. The meeting, to be held at the Skaelan Aero Club Haus, Henderson Airport is jointly organised by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and Solomon Airlines. In invitation sent out to business houses earlier this week, SICCI, said the idea is to welcome and meet Mr William who represents the airline industry, an important member. Replacing the ageing domestic fleetRead More
Asian business conducts in Solomon Islands
DEAR EDITOR, nothing is so detestable than to have the country’s balance of trade controlled by foreigners. Unfortunately, this is the situation this country is faced with. Accordingly, the volatility and uncertainty this trend poises to the future of Solomon Islands is far greater than one can discern. I could be naïve or rather too pessimistic in my view but the fact that successive governments have failed to map out the future they wish for the country should be a course for concern for anyone in his/her right mind. TheRead More
RSIPF’s emergency responders ready for RAMSI exit
REGIONAL Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) Special Coordinator Quinton Devlin today handed over the keys to a new, multi-million dollar Fire and Rescue Station in Central Honiara to Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Commissioner Frank Prendergast. The gifting of the fit-for-purpose Central Fire and Rescue Station marked RAMSI’s last major step in ensuring that the RSIPF’s emergency responders will be ready when RAMSI leaves in June this year. “The RSIPF’s new Fire and Rescue Station is a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will be the envy of many inRead More