BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Natural disasters have been part of the national stories of both Australia and Solomon Islands, said Richard Marles, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.

Mr Marles said this when he officially handed over four drones on behalf of the Australian Government to the Government of Solomon Islands.

Marles delivered the advanced drones to Wayne Ghemu, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) during a ceremony on Wednesday this week at Aola Patrol boat base.

“It is an honour for me to be here today at this very important ceremony to hand over these very important pieces of equipment.

“We share the same neighbourhood, which means that we share the same weather, and in so many ways we share the same experiences, which is why, since independence, we’ve had deep cooperation between our agencies that respond to natural disasters, including the National Disaster Management Office, as well as the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.

“So, it is an enormous pleasure to hand over these four parrot drones, which will have the ability to be able to assess damage in the aftermath of a disaster within, as the Minister said, those critical first 48 hours,” Marles said.

He said it is an absolutely essential capability to have, to be able to bring bare picture of what has occurred so that response can be rapid and effective.

He said that these drones add to supporting Solomon Islands in its response to natural disasters, including the humanitarian warehouse, that will operate in combination with the other humanitarian warehouse at Auki in Malaita.

According to Marles, these will provide critical stores, which are absolutely needed in the most difficult moment.

“As we face natural disasters together, what all of these drones represent is a shared experience between our two countries, but I very much hope they also represent a symbol of the friendship and the partnership between Solomon Islands and Australia, because they demonstrate that in the most difficult and darkest of moments, both of our countries stand shoulder to shoulder with each other.

“And in those moments, we respond, we repair, we rebuild, and together we face the future,” he said.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The handover of advance drones to the National Disaster Management office marks a significant step forward to strengthen the country’s national disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

Minister for Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) Wayne Ghemu said this at the handover of the equipment which took place at the Aola Patrol Base in Honiara on Wednesday this week.

Ghemu received four-parrot drones from Richard Marles, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence of Australia.

He said the provision of these drones reflects Australia’s unwavering commitment to strengthen the Solomon Islands’ sovereign humanitarian response capacity.

“On behalf of the Solomon Islands Government, I wish to sincerely convey our heartfelt appreciation to the Government and people of Australia for their steadfast and generous support,” he said.

He said the drones will significantly elevate the operational strength of the National Disaster Management Office.

“I also wish to commend the officers who have completed comprehensive drone pilot training under the inviolable guidance of the Australian Defence Force. Their professionalism and technical expertise will ensure that this new capability is used safely, responsibly and to its fullest potential,” he said.

He said their advanced aerial assessment abilities will allow them to quickly evaluate disaster impacts, support search and rescue operations and enable faster, better-informed decision making.

“These contributions substantially enhance our national capacity to respond effectively to disasters, particularly within the critical first 48 hours of emergency.

“This ensures that relief reaches affected communities more efficiently and more effectively. Beyond immediate response, these drones will strengthen our ongoing risk reduction efforts, supporting community-based disaster management programs through continuous monitoring, mapping of vulnerable areas and enhanced preparedness planning,” Minister Ghemu said.

He said the donation forms an integral component of Solomon Islands and Australia’s broader humanitarian partnership, anchored in a shared vision for long-term capacity building and resilience.

“Collaborative initiatives continue to strengthen the skills, coordination and readiness of our emergency responders. While the Australian Humanitarian Partnership supports disaster-ready initiatives across 46 communities and envisages 38 locally-led risk reduction and climate adaptation plans, as the Solomon Islands confronts growing climate-related risks, these joint efforts are essential in reinforcing resilience at the national, provincial and community levels,” Ghemu said.

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BY NED GAGAHE

The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) will maintain its accommodative monetary policy stance for the next six months, while introducing a new policy rate set at 1.5 percent to strengthen its monetary policy framework.

CBSI Governor Luke Forau announced the decision following the Bank’s Board meeting yesterday.

Mr Forau said the move aims to support ongoing economic recovery while keeping inflation below five percent.

“Today’s decisions support Solomon Islands’ ongoing economic recovery while safeguarding price stability. Introducing a policy rate improves the clarity of our stance and strengthens the transmission of monetary policy to the broader economy,” he said.

The newly introduced policy rate will serve as the main signal of the Bank’s monetary policy stance. It is expected to guide interest rates across the economy, including those offered by commercial banks on loans and savings.

Forau said the move will improve transparency and provide clearer forward guidance to businesses, households and financial institutions.

CBSI said that economic activity was strengthened in the second half of 2025, exceeding earlier expectations.

Growth was driven by strong mineral exports and improved performance across agriculture, fishing, communications, wholesale and retail trade, and tourism.

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Solomons’ economy strengthened in 2nd half of 2025 due to solid mineral exports, active key sectors: Central Bank

BY NED GAGAHE

Economic activity strengthened in the second half of 2025, exceeding earlier expectations, according to the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI).

Speaking during the announcement of the Bank’s accommodative monetary policy stance for the next six months alongside the introduction of a new 1.5 percent policy rate, CBSI Governor Dr Luke Forau said stronger growth was driven by solid mineral exports and improved performance across key sectors.

Dr Forau said agriculture, fishing, communications, wholesale and retail trade, and tourism all recorded better-than-expected outcomes, while labour market conditions remained broadly supportive.

“Against this backdrop, CBSI has revised up its growth outlook to 3.6 percent for 2025 and 3.8 percent for 2026, underpinned by mining expansion and broad-based growth in services, more than offsetting the decline in logging,” he said.

CBSI said that global growth is projected to remain steady in 2026, with inflation in many economies easing towards central bank targets. International food and fuel prices are expected to remain subdued amid ample supply, supporting lower imported inflation.

On the external front, the country’s foreign reserves are projected to remain adequate at around 12 months of import cover in 2026. This will be supported by robust export earnings and continued donor inflows.

Fiscal policy is expected to shift towards consolidation this year as Government works to manage the fiscal deficit and rebuild cash buffers.

Monetary aggregates are projected to grow moderately, while credit growth is expected to remain modest, mainly driven by personal lending.

Headline inflation eased sharply to 1.6 percent in December 2025, down from 3.7 percent in June. The decline reflects lower domestic price pressures and subdued imported inflation.

Core inflation also moderated to 0.9 percent over the same period, indicating contained underlying demand.

Looking ahead, headline inflation is expected to rise temporarily in the first quarter of 2026 due to heavy rainfall affecting local food prices. However, it is projected to ease to around 3.5 percent by June and 3.4 percent by December 2026. Core inflation is forecasted to remain low at about one percent this year.

CBSI cautions that risks to the outlook remain, including heightened geopolitical tensions that could lift global oil prices, more extreme weather events that may disrupt food supply, and ongoing domestic market inefficiencies.

The Bank says it will continue to closely monitor both domestic and global developments and stands ready to adjust its policy stance if inflationary pressures intensify or significant macroeconomic shocks arise.

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Solomon Islands set for historic double hosting and tough OFC U-16 draws

BY RICHARD MENANOPO

The Solomon Islands is preparing for a landmark year in youth football after official draws confirmed challenging group assignments for both the national men’s and women’s under-16 teams ahead of the 2026 OFC championships.

According to the Oceania Football Confederation, the draws were finalized on 18 February at the OFC Home of Football – Te Kahu o Kiwa in Auckland, confirming match pathways and host arrangements for the region’s premier youth competitions.

The biggest spotlight will fall on Solomon Islands as hosts of the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship from 6–19 September, a milestone moment for the growth of women’s football in the country.

Drawn in Group A, the hosts will face defending champions New Zealand, Fiji and the yet-to-be-decided qualifying winner.

Solomon Islands will open their campaign against New Zealand on Sunday 6 September at Lawson Tama Stadium (3pm), before meeting the qualifying winner on Wednesday 9 September (12pm) and Fiji on Saturday 12 September (3pm), with all host-nation fixtures scheduled for Lawson Tama.

“Hosts Solomon Islands have been drawn alongside defending champions New Zealand, Fiji and the qualifying winner in Group A,” OFC said.

The qualifying tournament, to be played in Papua New Guinea from 18–24 April, will feature American Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands in a round-robin format, with the winner advancing to Honiara.

The 2026 event will be the eighth edition of the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, which OFC describes as providing a vital pathway for emerging female footballers across Oceania to gain international experience.

Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands U-16 men’s side faces a difficult Group B assignment at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Papua New Guinea from July 12-25.

They will meet defending champions New Zealand, Tahiti and the qualifying winner, while Group A contains hosts Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.

Solomon Islands will begin their campaign against New Zealand on Monday 13 July, followed by Tahiti on Thursday 16 July, before closing group play against the qualifier on Sunday 19 July.

“Defending champions New Zealand headline Solomon Islands’ pool, with Tahiti and the qualifying winner completing Group B”, OFC said.

A top-two finish would secure a semi-final berth on 22 July, with the tournament final scheduled for 25 July.

The men’s championship represents the 23rd edition of Oceania’s premier youth competition, dating back to 1983 when it was contested at under-17 level.

Together, the two tournaments signal a defining chapter for youth football in Solomon Islands — with the girls competing before home supporters and the boys testing themselves against the region’s strongest nations overseas.

“These championships remain central to talent development in Oceania, offering young players a clear pathway toward higher-level international football”, OFC said.

For Solomon Islands, attention now turns to preparation, squad selection and building momentum as the nation prepares to host a major women’s tournament while chasing regional success on both fronts in 2026.

Photo: OFC Media

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