REPRESENTATIVES from World Trade Organisation (WTO) Secretariat in Geneva, government ministries, members of the Diplomatic community, private sector and other stakeholders are reviewing the country’s trade policy. The two-day seminar which kicked off yesterday will see these important stakeholders undergoing a follow-up of the last review to the country’s trade policy which was held in December last year. In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Mr Peter Kenilorea Jnr said the seminar is an opportunity to further improve awareness of tradeRead More

SOLOMON Islands Tobacco Company (SITCO) believes it is a legitimate stakeholder in the legislative process. General Manager Shusendra Singh told Island Sun that the company supports evidence-based, balanced legislation which is developed in consultation with affected stakeholders, including the tobacco industry. Mr Singh says that tobacco control policies can have a significant impact on the way SITCO manufactures, distributes and sells its products. “We believe this makes us a legitimate stakeholder in the legislative process. “SITCO has operated in the Solomon Islands for 50 years and makes a valuable contribution to theRead More

FAMILY and relatives of little Francis Welo have commended the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) personnel and Aspen doctors for saving the boy’s life over the weekend. Little Welo from Isabel province sustained life threatening wounds last week when he accidently fell on a homemade spear kids normally used to shoot fish in rivers. The spear pierced through his scrotum, a ghastly wound which shocked his parents. Report reaching this paper said that the boy’s father rush the boy to Visena clinic then to Buala Hospital but wasRead More

THE businessman who allegedly owes the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund millions of dollars in unpaid contributions could lose some of his properties if he fails to pay up. The veiled warning of assets seizure was issued by the Fund last week. “If owner does not extinguish the remaining arrears, the Fund will proceed with prosecution by our in-house Counsels. And this is in process,” it said. Information obtained by Island Sun show the owner of Bulaia Backpackers Lodge, Alick Tabe’u, faces a bill close to $10 million or moreRead More

MID permanent secretary on radar on $3m shipping grant for Ghost Company   REVELATIONS have surfaced that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Henry Murray Aife, has direct links to Amwata Shipping and Boat Building Company, a ghost company which has milked $2.5million on shipping grant last year. A well-placed source within the Ministry of Finance and Treasury revealed that the ghost company has re-applied for $3 million this year and has already been approved as a recipient. However, sources familiar with the matter said Amwata ShippingRead More