By RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

A call has been made for the urgent repair of the Fiu and Kelakwai Veda Road in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province which was washed away by floods last week.

The road was first dug into half on Wednesday (Jan 28) and was later cut off as bad weather continued. 

Community leader, Jason Siru said the road has split by 10 metres, making it nearly impossible for anyone to cross on foot.

He said due to the cut-off, farmers, vehicle owners and the entire population of Fiu and Kelakwai communities have had to pay a sum of $100 per day to use the Kunu access road. 

He added that students and staff of Gwaigeo Rural Training Centre and the secondary school are among those most affected.

“At first, since Wednesday last week, the road was dug up by the flash flood from the Fiu River halfway. The flood continued on Thursday and Friday, completely cutting off the road.

“The road splintered about 10 metres apart, which nobody can possibly cross.

“So, the most affected people are the students and staff of Gwaigeo Rural Training Centre and secondary school,” he said.

Meanwhile, Siru appeals to the responsible authorities to quickly step in to fix the road as it has caused a lot of inconvenience for their daily routines. 

He said they have been feeling the effects of the damaged road in having to pay fees, which should be taken into consideration by the authorities. 

“We are suffering now because every day we have to pay $100 before using the disputed access road at Kunu.

“So, we are calling on the authorities to quickly fix the road as it is the main route that our market vendors use to transport their produce,” he said.

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By RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

Goshen Enterprise, the only taro dealer and exporter in the country, aims to send one shipment of its taro products to Australia this year.

This will be a major step forward for the business, as it recovered after covid-19.

In an interview with Island Sun yesterday, Managing Director of Goshen Enterprise, Levite Luciano Maesimae said he is planning to improve productivity and do at least one shipment this year.

To kick-start the process, he encourages taro farmers to supply more taros to his packhouse in Adaliua, near Auki, Malaita Province.

He said an increased supply can improve its domestic distribution, like the Bulk-shop in Honiara.

“I want to encourage my taro farmers to supply more taros to our taro packhouse at Adaliua, so that we can focus on domestic distributions.

“We must try our best to do any shipment this year and achieve our goal,” he said.

Maesimae said they can taro from Ata’a in the Baegu Asifola constituency, from Wairaha in the West Are’are, and also in East Are’are.

He said most of his farmers are from the highlands and so they have to carry their supply of  taro on their shoulders to reach road access.

Hence, he said one challenge his farmers face is transporting the crop to the packhouse.

To address such challenges, he suggests improvement in logistics and creating more incentives to support the farmers.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Following the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Act and with the budget in place, the emphasis for this year is on implementation.

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele gave a brief take on this whilst speaking to the media yesterday.

“At the national level, the Government enters 2026 following the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Act.

“With the budget now in place, the emphasis for this year is on implementation, within the realities of available resources, institutional capacity, and external conditions,” he said.

Manele said last week, the Policy Implementation Monitoring Evaluation Unit at OPMC held a week-long policy review workshop with Permanent Secretaries and senior officials of all line ministries.

The Prime Minister said this is to improve government policy implementation through programmes and projects in the most efficient and cost-effective ways and through improved coordination.

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Damaged bridges, roads in Honiara and provinces in bad states following bad weather, Opposition Leader Wale calls on Government to urgently address these problems

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale calls on the Government to urgently address the deteriorating roads and transport infrastructure in the country.

Reports of damages to critical infrastructures in Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces as a result of the ongoing bad weather is putting lives at risk.

Wale received reports of damage to Tabalia bridge which is a lifeline for people of Northwest, West, & South Guadalcanal which needs urgent attention that must not wait for the rain to stop.

“We do not want to force communities that rely on that bridge to travel by sea in the current weather conditions. There may be other similar damage to critical infrastructure which needs to be given urgent attention,” Wale said in a statement.

He said the bridges are lifelines for our people and the Government must act now to prevent further damage and protect communities.

The Opposition Leader said the bad weather has caused serious concern for communities relying on key bridges with reports of damage, flooding, and restricted access.

According to Wale, these conditions have disrupted transport, isolated rural communities, and delayed access to health services, schools, and markets.

“Every time we experience bad weather, bridges and infrastructures are damaged or become unsafe. Our people should not be cut off from essential services because of poor planning and delayed action,” he said.

In and around Honiara the bad weather has again resulted in damages to roads in the city as well as feeder roads.

Wale said whilst he acknowledged the ongoing road upgrade around Honiara there should be no excuse for immediate maintenance.

He said the situation highlights years of neglect and failure to prioritise maintenance of vital infrastructure.

He also stressed the need for transparency and accountability in infrastructure spending to ensure projects are built to proper standards and withstand extreme weather.

“It is becoming frustrating that roads in some parts of the city and feeder roads are intended to be maintained every week. There seem to be no accountability and proper standards by companies when it comes to maintaining roads that can withstand bad weather,” he said.

The Opposition is calling on the Government to immediately conduct urgent safety assessments of all affected bridges especially in Malaita and Guadalcanal, carry out emergency repairs and provide temporary crossings where necessary and commit funding for long-term, climate-resilient bridge construction.

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[Published on Saturday, Jan 31]

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Four Solomon Islands media professionals have been awarded the prestigious Manaaki New Zealand Vocational Short-Term Training Scholarship.

This will provide them with an opportunity to further their professional skills through overseas study.

The Media Association of the Solomon Islands (MASI) on Saturday, Jan 31, announced that Elton Lonaratha Jnr and Morris Nafu of Island Sun Newspaper, along with Lachlan Eddie of SIBC News, will undertake Diploma programmes in Journalism at the Waikato Institute of Technology in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Bradford Noda of Tavuli News Solomon Islands will pursue a Diploma in Animation at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

According to MASI, the four scholarship recipients are expected to depart in the coming weeks to commence their 10-month training programmes.

MASI said the scholarships were made possible through its ongoing partnership with the New Zealand Government under the Manaaki New Zealand programme, which supports capacity building and skills development in key sectors.

MASI expressed its sincere appreciation to the New Zealand Government, particularly the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara, for its continued support of the Solomon Islands media industry.

“Your investment is helping us to build a more skilled, professional, and vibrant media sector for the Solomon Islands,” MASI said in a statement.

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[Published on Saturday, Jan 31]

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

A weeklong Digital Content Creation training has ended successfully in Gizo, Western Province, courtesy to the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration (MCILI).

The training brought together young entrepreneurs and digital content creation enthusiasts from Gizo to gain practical skills and knowledge in content creation for online platforms.

Trainers from Reggae Haus and Reveal Pasifik spent four days unpacking video shooting techniques and hands-on video editing using free video-editing applications available online, enabling participants to learn affordable and accessible digital tools.

Speaking at the closing and certificate presentation ceremony on Friday, Jan 30, Principal Investment Officer of Western Province, Kedrian Ishmael Vilibasia, said the training reflects the Western Provincial Government’s firm commitment to build a digitally skilled workforce and empower entrepreneurs, youth and professionals to compete in an increasingly digital economy.

He said e-commerce is no longer an option but a necessity as digital transformation continues to reshape business operations and transactions globally.

Vilibasia expressed confidence that participants are now better equipped to seize new opportunities, expand markets and contribute meaningfully to provincial and national development.

“We sincerely appreciate the dedication of the trainers, the organising team and partner institutions who ensured the success of this training programme. Your expertise and commitment have made a lasting impact.

“On behalf of the Western Provincial Government, the Honourable Premier, Provincial Secretary and Deputy Provincial Secretary, I thank you for this privilege to address you at the conclusion of this E-commerce Training Programme,” he said.

Vilibasia congratulated the participants and encouraged them to apply the skills and knowledge gained to drive the growth of the province’s digital sector.

“Be innovative, confident and become ambassadors of digital transformation in your respective sectors. I wish you every success in your future endeavours,” he said.

National Coordinator of the E-Commerce Division at the Ministry of Commerce, Tristein Zutu described the training as a great success.

He said his team was pleased to see the growing interest among youths in digital content creation as a source of livelihood.

“This training is one of the best outcomes since we introduced this programme last year.

“Participants were very active and eager to learn. The videos and photos submitted for group work were beyond expectation, showing that participants took the training very seriously. My team is very pleased with the outcome,” Zutu said.

He acknowledged the Western Provincial Government, the Western Province Young Entrepreneurs Council and all participants for their commitment throughout the training.

Zutu also thanked the trainers from Reggae Haus and Reveal Pasifik for facilitating and delivering the programme.

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[Published on Saturday, Jan 31]

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Kirakira cocoa processing plant in Makira/Ulawa Province is now ready for its second phase following the completion of the first phase, which involved the construction of a building to house the processing facility.

The project is funded by the Solomon Islands government through the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration (MCILI) and the Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC).

In a recent interview, Makira Ulawa Premier Stanley Siapu gave an update of the historic project, confirming steady progress.

“The first phase of the project, which included the construction of the factory building, has already been completed.

“We are now working with the national government to pursue the second phase of the project, which involves the procurement and installation of processing machinery in the building,” he said.

Premier Siapu highlighted the cocoa processing plant as one of the key priorities of his government and said they will continue to work closely with the national government to ensure its completion.

“With the progress we have witnessed so far, my government is grateful to the national government and other stakeholders for the partnership shown in this project,” he said.

Premier Siapu said the realization of the project will have a significant impact on the national economy, with initial plans to produce chocolate locally.

He said it will also boost the cocoa industry in Makira Ulawa Province and the country as a whole by encouraging more farmers to enter the sector.

Premier Siapu assures that his government is committed to support the national government to ensure that the project is fully realized and delivers benefits to Solomon Islanders.

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