Solomon Islands

PNG tops Pacific in internet cost

Solomon Islands has the second most expensive internet service in the Pacific region.

According to them, the last updated report on internet access affordability on Pacific Islands was three years ago.

“Technological progress in Internet access is slowly but surely being felt in the Pacific.”

It states that ADSL and/or fixed wireless broadband is available in all the countries they have included in their analysis including newcomer Nauru.

Solomon Islands PM launches new aid policy

Called Aid Management and Development Cooperation Policy, the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination, in consultation with other stakeholders, produced the document.

Sogavare said foreign aid to Solomon Islands is relative large and is a major source of funding for development.

“In 2015, the total aid reported was approximately $1.1 billion (US$123 million), funded by bilateral and multilateral development partners,” Sogavare said.

“This made up approximately 68 per cent of the development expenditure in 2015,” he added.

Solomons Futsal team crowned OFC champs and World Cup-bound

The Kurukuru captain Elliot Ragomo said the team was so proud to be going off to Colombia to represent Solomon Islands, Oceania, and each of the nations' who took part in the OFC competition, which was staged in Suva.

The Kurukuru made a clean sweep of the tournament, scoring 23 goals and conceding just three.

Consistent performances saw the competition individual awards scooped by Solomon Islanders too, with Ragomo taking the coveted Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament.

Solomon Islands trade development council hold first 2016 meeting

The NTDC, which meets on a quarterly basis, is a senior level forum for decision making and coordination of trade development policy in Solomon Islands including trade policy formulation and trade mainstreaming into national development plans.

It also ensures effective coordination amongst government ministries, private sector organizations and civil society organizations. 

Solomon PM recalls early days

Speaking to PNG Loop in an exclusive interview yesterday Prime Minister Sogavare said he was born in Popondetta, Northern Province in 1955.

“We lived in PNG for 30 years. My father established the SDA church at Bogia district in Madang Province

“My father arrived in PNG in 1937. There were seven boys in our family, and six of us were born in PNG, and one was born in SI.

“I did my primary education in 1968 at Panim Adventist School, Madang.

Solomon Islands negotiator encouraged by draft Paris Outcome

“The most important thing for the Pacific is that most of our key positions - below 1.5 degrees limit in global temperature rises, loss and damage, five year commitment, adaptation and financing are cemented in the proposed agreement, said Ambassador Beck.

Going forward, the challenge on our ministers is to ‘manage and defend these key asks to ensure that whenever these issues come up in the negotiations, they are not diluted but strengthened.’

Manhunt underway for BSP robbers in Malaika

Malaita premier Peter Ramohia made the appeal yesterday.

Our BSP gets okay to buy Westpac interests in Solomons

BSP chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou said, “BSP has been working closely with CBSI and has fulfilled the necessary requirements and it is pleasing to note that the central bank has responded positively.

“Both BSP and Westpac are committed to the acquisition and are working religiously towards a likely completion of sale by the end of October.”

The acquisition is in line with BSP’s Pacific based expansion strategy, which has been maintained since 2006.

Solomons looks to protect culture as tourism grows

With the help of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been running workshops to educate performers about how to protect their livelihoods.

The Ministry's Director of Culture, Dennis Marita, says many need to be made aware of their rights and how to benefit fairly from the tourism dollar.

France urged to comply with UN decolonisation process

In 2013, the General Assembly voted for a resolution sponsored by Solomon Islands to re-inscribe the territory on the UN decolonisation list but Paris has all but ignored the decision.

France has said it won't buy into the UN decolonisation process and also ruled out holding an immediate independence referendum as requested by the territorial assembly.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Sogavare has urged France to change.