Tuesday, July 4th, 2017
New Zealand remains committed to support Solomon Islands after RAMSI
THE Government of New Zealand has pledged to continue to assist the Solomon Islands Government post RAMSI. This was highlighted in a meeting betweenPrime Minister Hon Manasseh Sogavare and the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand Hon Paula Bennett last Friday June 30, 2017. Hon Bennett was in Honiara for the four-day RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands) Farewell celebrations which concluded a day ahead of her meeting with Prime Minister Sogavare. She told Prime Minister Sogavare that although RAMSI had completed its mandate and was leaving Solomon Islands,Read More
SINPF reserve level below $400m
THE Solomon Islands National Provident Fund is sustaining a reserve level that is below $400 million. SINPF Board Chairman, Mr Peter Boyers made the statement during the end of the 2016 financial year recently. He said the reserve level is below $400 million ($399,328,839) consisting of a general reserve of just over $329 million ($329,377,496) and a revaluation surplus of just under $70 million ($ 69,951,343). Mr Boyers said these represent 10 percent general reserves only and 13 percent total reserves of the total funds under their management. In theRead More
Waisisi palm oil project is real: MAL
THE Waisisi-Wairokai Palm Oil Project is real says the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL). Ground work is ongoing at Wairokai where the nursery is located and transplanting of the first 9,000 seedlings is implemented. MAL made the revelation for the sake of clarification and putting straight the information on the piece by Birau Wilson Saeni, Solomon Star issue No 6633 on Friday June 30, titled “Waisisi palm oil project is far from being real”, and again on front page Sunday Star, July 2, with a bold title “Waisisi queriesRead More
SINPF continues with 5-year business plan
THE Solomon Islands national Provident Fund will continue to implement its 5-year rolling business plan (2016-2021). SINPF Board chairman, Mr Peter Boyers made the statement during the end of 2016 financial year recently. He said as part of the implementation some of the key activities of the plan include the recent adoption of SINPF’s new investment policy statement and strategic asset allocation framework. Mr Boyers said that also looks at the implementation of their integrated financial system (IFMS) that will enable management and Board to produce timely financial and operationalRead More
A bold step toward addressing Honiara traffic jam
DEAR EDITOR, the ongoing traffic jam has become a daily concern to each and everyone who travel the Honiara City roads, day in and day out. Nobody could say that he or she enjoys travelling along such a dusty road on an extremely hot day for an hour or two, unless that buddy is someone from the village who for the first time been to town all his or her life. However, for students, workers, vendors, eye-shoppers and the travelling public, time management is crucial when it comes to travelling.Read More
Fiji’s Prime Minister offers permanent settlement to people of Tuvalu and Kiribati
DEAR EDITOR, according to a Radio New Zealand International news bulletin today, 3 July, 2017, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says people who leave Tuvalu and Kiribati because of climate change will be allowed to settle permanently in Fiji. Prime Minister Bainimarama is quoted on RNZI as saying, “The i-Kiribati and Tuvaluans “will not be refugees” and he promised that Fijians would take them into their homes and hearts And we ask other countries to offer the same hospitality to anyone who is displaced by climate change. “Because ultimately, weRead More
Container of medical equipment and supplies for the NRH
DEAR EDITOR, a full 20 foot container of medical supplies and equipment has left New Zealand for the NRH and is estimated to arrive in Honiara on 10 July. The latest container is one of a batch of recent ones sent by the NZ based charity trust, Take My Hands, and provided in terms of a MOU signed by the charity and the MOHMS (NRH). Yours sincerely FRANK SHORT
Double-dipping
Are SOEs’ board of directors acting within the law? With fixed salaries and sitting allowances… CHAIRMEN and Board of Directors on semi-government organisations, otherwise known as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) may have overstepped their legal boundaries by voting themselves fixed term annual salaries. At the same time many Board members appear to continue to get paid despite records showing their appointments are no longer valid. A senior government official told Island Sun these Directors including their Chairmen have given themselves fixed-term salaries, instead of just meeting allowances they are entitledRead More