MEMBERS of Constitutional Congress and Eminent Persons Advisory Council (EPAC) are currently having a pre-plenary session to finalise positions made on the 2nd 2014 Draft Fed-eral Constitution of Solomon Islands during the 2015 and 2016 awareness/consultations. The pre-plenary session, which started on Monday February 20 and will end Friday March 31, 2017 is held at Mendana Hotel Conference Room. The session involves members looking through the positions of the awareness/consultations held from May 2015 to June 2016, which were combined in a matrix form of document. These positions on sectionsRead More

THE Solomon Islands Government and Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) yesterday signed an agreement quashing the cancellation of the latter’s mining license early last year. The agreement was signed by the Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Hon David Dei Pacha on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government and witnessed by the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Gold Ridge, Hon Bradley Tovosia and Mr Walton Naezon and Mr Benjamin Afuga on behalf of GRML/GCIL (Gold Ridge Community Investment Limited). The signing was presided over by Mr John MuriaRead More

TOURISM Industry in the country has been labelled as the worst tourism website in the region. A study report shows that a review of 63 accommodations in the Honiara, Guadalcanal and Central regions show there is a lot of work to do with digital tourism in the country. According to the report 82 percent of tourism operators in the Solomon Islands had no website and of those that do, 50 percent are not mobile friendly and 83 percent have no booking engine. Nationally the figures are much worse where commonRead More

SOLOMON Islands tourism should go digital to make it easier for operators to find markets and tourists to find Solomon Islands with ease. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr Andrew Nihopapra made the statement during the digital tourism workshop on “How to Drive More Sales and Improve Profitability Using the Internet”, which was held yesterday. He said, “The online space is becoming the tourism distribution channel and your participation at this sort of workshop will ensure you are aware of the latest trends in online marketingRead More

THE issue of short bus route in Honiara City was tabled in parliament on Tuesday by Hon Derick Manu’ari, MP for West Makira, specifically to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development. Hon Manu’ari questioned what the DCCG is doing about the report of the special selected committee on the Honiara Short Bus Route that was tabled in August 2014. Negative impact of short route buses over the years, the MP Manu’ari said affects residents of Honiara to an extreme level of productivity of negative outcomes at workplace and individual homes. MrRead More

THE Minister for Infrastructure Development clarified in parliament on Tuesday the Kukum Highway Road Upgrading has been progressing – work speeding at 13.5 percent. He made this statement over question raised by Independent Leader Dr Derek Sikua about the Honiara main road, Mataniko bridge extension, upgrading and tar-sealing from Kukum to the Honiara city council roundabout. Minister Lusibaea said overall implementation progress of the Kukum Highway project is taking 13.5 percent according to the project implementation programme and monthly work schedule. Minister Lusibaea said work at the central market andRead More