BY SYLVANA TEKUMAHA

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communication and Aviation (MCA) Fredrick Kologeto has confirmed that Rennell Bellona province will have a third airstrip.

He shared this on the floor of parliament during the Sine Die Motion on Tuesday when responding to Opposition Leader, Matthew Wale’s question about the plans for airport construction on the island.

Kologeto said the Renbel province airstrip budget for 2026 was passed with a feasibility study and is expected to begin early next year.

The airstrip is planned for the eastern end of Rennell Island, close to Lake Tegano.

He said five interested groups approached the Ministry of Aviation regarding the sites for the airstrip, however no final decision was made regarding the location. 

“We have not decided where to have the airstrip located, but we must make sure it serves the maximum rural population, the province and the Government,” he said.

He also pointed out the Ministry’s plan is to construct a longer airstrip to accommodate large aircrafts. The intention is to have routes around the country to service people.

“Rennel Bellona is an important site for the Government as it works towards decentralisation of operations, in order to develop Rennel Bellona for tourism purposes,” he said. 

Speaking to Island Sun yesterday, Permanent Secretary for MCA, Alwin Danitofea explained that the site for the airstrip remains to be confirmed.

He adds that an airstrip in East Rennell will boost tourism, and proposed aquaculture projects for the Lake.

Member of Parliament for West Are’Are, John Maneniaru also raised concerns in parliament about limited transportation to the province and people depending on aerial transport due to irregular shipping services.

“With the plan for airstrip construction, it would be profitable therefore the Ministry needs to invest into Solomon Airlines,” he said.

He encouraged the Ministry of Aviation to have the feasibility study quick for construction.

Wale further questioned Kologeto about the timeframe the Ministry is looking at for the east Rennel construction and procurement to start.

“I am not going to give the actual date but work will begin in January next year,” Kologeto said.

MCA will be looking at a feasibility study, consultancy and identification on sites for airstrips in East Rennel, East Malaita, Central Province and Choiseul province early next year.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed to reopen Avu Avu airstrip in East Guadalcanal in August. The Ministry of Communication and Aviation also rehabilitated the airstrip in Atoifi, East Malaita and have closed the tender for Malaita Outer Island.

Rennell and Bellona has two existing airstrips. One on Bellona, the Anua airstrip, and the other on West Rennell, Tigoa station.

From Tigoa airport, the journey to Lake Tengano takes less than three hours and truck fares can cost up to $2,000.

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BY BEN BILUA

Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET), Peter Shanel Agovaka has called on development partners to deepen their understanding of the Pacific context and to align their support with regional priorities.

Speaking at the 6th Korea–Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers Meeting, Agovaka said development partners must select and design their priorities in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, which serves as the region’s long-term development blueprint.

He said the 2050 Strategy outlines how Pacific countries can work collectively to realise a shared vision of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity across the region.

“The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent provides the blueprint on how we, as a region, can work together to achieve our common vision,” Agovaka said.

He stressed that effective cooperation requires partners to respect and work within Pacific-led systems and mechanisms.

“It requires our partners to understand our operating context, and work within our mechanisms and systems. Most importantly, it requires our partners to align to our priorities,” he said.

Agovaka added that achieving the region’s long-term vision depends on building genuine and enduring partnerships founded on mutual respect and shared goals.

“Achieving our 2050 vision requires genuine and long-lasting partnerships,” he said.

Agovaka said the changing geostrategic environment has prompted Pacific leaders to take a more deliberate and coordinated approach to development, ensuring that national and regional aspirations are not left to chance.

He said Pacific leaders remain committed to establishing a region where Pacific people can lead free, healthy and productive lives, with development guided by regional ownership and collective responsibility.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Member of Parliament (MP) for South New Georgia/Rendova- Tetepare Constituency, David Gina, said the government tends to spread money thinly across too many programs.

He voiced this when delivering his speech during the Sine Die Motion in parliament this week.

“When targeting is weak, budgets look busy on paper but produce little change on the ground. Let me give you two quick examples. The budget figures we have recently scrutinised show persistent problems with targeting,” he said.

He said that the total budget for education in 2026 is $2.8 billion, yet only $83.7 million, around 5 percent, is allocated to development.

“The rest is absorbed by the current costs, including $129 million for teacher payback. We are paying salaries and arrears, but investing very little in classrooms, water, sanitation, and the unreformed lead delivery.

“In agriculture, where the government says growth and exports are the priority, the problem is again clear. The Ministry’s total budget falls from $90 million in 2025 to about $87 million in 2026, with development funding cut by about 20 percent. At the same time, over $72.5 million in donor-funded advanced warrants temporarily prop up activity,” Gina said.

He said that growth is driven largely by prices and donors, not sustained national investment.

“We speak of deficit reduction, yet the deficit still sits around 7.5 percent, with projected improvement rates relying heavily on donor support. Removed donor assistance and the underlying fiscal position remains fragile,” he said.

He said that this is not consolidation driven by reform, it is consolidation driven by assumptions.

He adds that borrowing pressure also coexists with spending patterns that weaken returns.

“Education and health budgets remain dominated by recurring costs, with development shares of roughly 5 percent in education and 8 percent in health. Borrowing in such a structure sustains wages and arrears rather than builds productive assets. If borrowing continues to rise while reform lags, future budgets will be retained by repayment schedules, not by Parliament’s priorities,” he said.

He said that fiscal responsibility requires borrowing only where returns are clear, closing revenue leakages and protecting development space.

“Again, that is the test this House must apply as we conclude this session,” Gina said.

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BY BEN BILUA

THE Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum has renewed his call for unity among Pacific nations, urging member countries to stand together to address the growing challenges the region faces.

Baron Divavesi Waqa made the call while speaking to the media during a press conference held on Wednesday December 17, 2025, where he emphasised the importance of solidarity among Pacific Island countries.

He said member states must remain united as one Blue Pacific family, taking shared and coordinated action to confront issues that continue to affect the region.

Waqa said Pacific unity is especially critical at a time when climate change and shifting geopolitical interests are placing increasing pressure on Island nations.

“The Pacific Ocean does not separate member nations but brings them together through culture, shared identity, and common challenges,” he said.

On the global front, Waqa stressed that a unified Pacific voice is essential in strengthening the region’s influence internationally, particularly in securing key positions within global institutions and advancing advocacy for a nuclear-free Pacific.

He also warned that transnational crime remains a serious and ongoing threat to Pacific countries, noting that collective regional efforts are needed to effectively address such challenges.

Waqa reiterated that only through unity and cooperation can Pacific nations safeguard their shared interests and ensure a secure and sustainable future for the region.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Transformation remains the central objective of the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele expressed this when he formally concluded the final sitting for 2025 and the Third Meeting of the Twelfth Parliament on Wednesday December 17, 2025.

“As we conclude this meeting of Parliament, I do so with a deep sense of responsibility and reflection on the work undertaken by this Honourable House and the Government for National Unity and Transformation. And with optimism for the path that lies ahead for our nation,” he said.

He said that the debates, legislation and deliberations of Parliament reaffirm a shared commitment to serve the people of Solomon Islands and to advance the national development agenda.

“I thank all who have spoken on the motion,” he said.

He acknowledged those who shared their views on critical issues for growth and development, suggestions on policy gaps and recommendations.

“I thank Ministers of the Crown who took the floor to outline their respective ministries’ achievements in 2025 and their work programmes and priorities for 2026, as well as Government backbenchers who contributed to the debate,” PM Manele said.

He said that the debate on the motion has been very constructive.

“Transformation remains the central objective of the GNUT as it defines the legacy we seek to leave for future generations. The transformation agenda is guided by the four policy pillars of the GNUT, which provide a clear and coherent framework for national development.

“The first pillar, unity and stability, remains the foundation of all progress. Peace, social cohesion and political stability are essential conditions for development. On this note, I thank the opposition and independent leaders for their interventions on the issue of political stability, and others as well who spoke on this subject,” he said.

He confirmed that he was encouraged that they recognised the need for political stability in the Government.

“There have been issues ranging from federalism, suffering wharves, Constituency Boundary Commission reviews, reforms in the mineral sector, school fees, health and medical services, telecommunications, rural development, and a range of issues that have been raised during the course of the debate,” he said.

While he noted his Ministers responded to some of the concerns and observations that have been raised, he said it is time to deal with this issue head-on.

“We cannot allow individual interests to take precedence over national interests. I encourage GNUT’s other coalition partners to do the same. We must come back to Parliament in 2026 with renewed vigour and a sense of purpose,” PM Manele said.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele shared the government and the people of Solomon Islands’ thoughts and prayers with the victims of Bondi shooting in Sydney, Australia.

He made the profound statement before he closed the final sitting for 2025 and the formal conclusion of the Third Meeting of the Twelfth Parliament yesterday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this time of profound grief. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Australia, and we stand in solidarity with them as they mourn this tragic loss,” he said.

He said that Solomon Islands stands with Australia in rejecting violence in all its forms and in upholding peace, safety and the sanctity of human life.

The PM also strongly condemned the incident, describing it as sad and disturbing to him.

“Let me reflect briefly on the Bondi shooting in Sydney, Australia. Mr Speaker, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the tragic shooting in Bondi, Sydney, Australia. On behalf of the Government and people of Solomon Islands, I strongly condemn this senseless act of terror and violence.

“I have already written to the Prime Minister of Australia expressing our condolences and sympathies,” PM Manele concluded.

On 14 December 2025, a terrorist mass shooting occurred at Archer Park beside Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, in the late afternoon during a Hanukkah celebration attended by approximately one thousand people.

Two gunmen shot at the crowd, killing 15 people, including a child.

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