A website and database for Recognized Seasonal Employers (RSE) in New Zealand has been launched at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in Wellington, New Zealand. Speaking on behalf of the Pacific RSE sending countries during the official launching, Solomon Islands High Commissioner, HE, Lady Joy Kere acknowledged the New Zealand government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment for the support rendered towards the project. Mrs Kere said, this is a project which took 18 months and to establish 9 websites and 9 database have not been easy. Lady Kere congratulated the partnership which saw the launch of this project after 18 months.  Mrs Kere is optimistic that the RSE website will benefit all stakeholders through the information that will be disseminated.  Also she says data generated will be used for the improvement of the Labour Mobility programme.   The website is seen as an importan...

The National Trade Development Council (NTDC) held its first meeting for 2017 at the Rock Haven Inn on the 21st of March. 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. Director of Foreign Investment within the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration Mr. Derick Aihari giving his remarks during yesterday’s NTDC meeting. It also ensures effective coordination amongst government ministries, private sector and civil society organizations. Cabinet endorsed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) to facilitate the work of NTDC on December 20th 2012, comprised of representatives from various Government Ministries, private sector organizations and non-governmental organisations. It is chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Tra...

The Solomon Islands Government confirms that Mr. Kayhan Khadem was officially appointed as the Solomon Islands Honorary Consul in Auckland following a Cabinet approval and official exequatur signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in August 2016. The appointment of Mr Kayhan Khadem was done in accordance with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) and the Protocol Guidelines of the host country. The New Zealand government has granted an exequatur for Mr Khadem on 2nd June 2016 as the Solomon Islands Honorary Consul with jurisdictions over Auckland and Northland. Mr. Kayhan Khadem is the managing Director of Pro-design Architect with its Head Office in Auckland with country offices in Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. He brings vast experiences and connections in the Business sector as an active member of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council. Mr Khadem has lived in Solomon Islands for more than 20 years and co...

The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) and Solomon Islands National Provident Fund Board (SINPFB) signed on Monday 20th March 2017, a Domestic Development Bond Agreement in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and the Governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands. Under this arrangement SIG issues Domestic Development Bonds worth of $150 million to SINPF. The Domestic Development Bonds are in two series; the first series is a 15 year bullet $120 million face value bond with an interest rate of 6.5% per annum. The second series is a 10 year amortizing $30 million face value bond with a grace period of 5 years with interest only to be paid during the grace period.   At the signing the SINPF Board Chairman issued a cheque of $120 million to the Minister of Finance for the 1st series bond.    The remaining $30 million will be paid on 30 March 2017. The principal repay...

Today the Pacific marks World Water Day, a day designated to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of fresh water resources to sustainable development.   However today, like every other day of the calendar, more than a million Pacific Islanders will wake to the task of collecting drinking water from a polluted stream or well, and to the challenge of finding a safe and private place in the bush or on the beach to go to the toilet.    According to the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, t his is not just an issue of hardship and inconvenience.  Lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation poses a serious health risk - particularly to children - and a fundamental development constraint for Pacific nations.   “Access to potable water and safe sanitation is a basic human right that many people take for granted,” Dr Tukuitonga said.  “However, it is a right currently denied to almost two thirds of Pacific Isl...

A small fish canning workshop conducted in Honiara last week will soon equip locals with knowledge and skills to process and preserve their own fish. The training programme is in line with the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC Government’s) Policy to involve local Solomon Islanders in economic activities that will bring benefits to their families. The workshop was a training of trainers in canning fish processes designed to help to safely process and conserve their fish products at the household and village levels. Participants at the workshop were selected by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources from both the government and private sector with one international participant from Fiji. The fishing canning technique is new to Solomon Islands and the first participants included eight men and four women who now have the skills to teach others how to use the equipment to safely can their own fish. The process is relatively simple which only requires new...

More than 190 students of the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) were awarded qualifications in 18 programs at a graduation ceremony in Suva. Since its establishment in 2007, over 10,600 Pacific Islanders, of which more than 3,190 are Fijians, have graduated from APTC. APTC is an innovative development project funded by the Australian Government, delivering Australian skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers for skilled workers across the Pacific region. While delivering the keynote address, Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Honourable Mr Jone Usamate, congratulated the new graduates and urged them to use the skills and knowledge that they have gained from their training to contribute towards their workplaces and in their communities. “You have received training specifically designed to meet the needs of various industries from a quality organisation. As a graduate of APTC, not only will you benefit from international reco...

Four officials from the Solomon Islands Government have completed capacity building exchange with a number of Fiji agencies handling trade and trade-related issues. Opening the peer learning attachment, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Shaheen Ali, said “This peer learning is setting the platform for deeper integration amongst the Pacific countries. We will be able to align systems and processes amongst the Pacific countries starting with trade data. This will allow for greater coherence amongst us.” This marks the first peer attachment program focused on trade policy development in the Pacific region and is a result of recommendations emanating from the Solomon Islands National Trade Policy Framework established in 2015. The Framework was formulated with assistance from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The request from Solomon Islands for this attachment underscores its commitment to expand its trade potential and generate economic growth. T...

Solomon Island Customs & Excise Division (SICED) has successfully stopped an attempt to smuggle 228 sleeves of cigarettes (45,600 rolls) and four new Stihl chainsaws last Thursday 23 February afternoon. Due to SICED's risk assessment, a 20’ container of mixed goods consigned to SOON ENTERPRISE, a logging company, was targeted and then subject to a 100% check. Part of the Cargo that was confiscated by Customs Officers As a result of the search, Customs Officers discovered 228 sleeves of Dunhill Cigarettes concealed in boxes professionally labeled as chocolate cakes. Two representatives from the company were present during the examination. The shipment was from Malaysia The examining Customs Officers who toiled for four hours in the hot sun were delighted with the results. The examination of these types of goods is very difficult but the dedication of Officers to find these illegal goods is what motivates them each day. The Comptroller of Customs says targ...

Strata Title is a long overdue land administration system in the Ministry of Lands Housing and Survey.  Recently the Solomon Islands Government and Caucus have endorsed the concept of Strata Title for Solomon Islands.  Strata Title is a form of land tenure system that allows units in a building to be individually owned, while the ‘parent’ land title is owned by all unit owners in common. Some of the reasons why this system would be beneficial are because of the scarcity of land and the costs involved to acquire land and to further develop it.  With the high cost of rentals, this would encourage development of land for medium and high-rise apartments which would enable more affordable units for average citizens of the Solomon Islands.   Mary Tegavota and SPC’s Chief Technical Adviser Alan McNeil has spent months in consulting with developers, banks and lawyers in Solomon Islands.  It is hoped that a Strata Titles Bill will be ready for Parliamen...