• suspension revoked as Lands Commissioner returns to office

BY NED GAGAHE

Suspended Commissioner of Lands Alan McNeil has got his job back after the Ministry of Public Service revoked and set aside his suspension just weeks after he was suspended over allegations linked to land dealings at the Kongulai water source.

McNeil was suspended on 13 November 2025. A letter from Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service Luke Cheka, alleged misconduct relating to:

• Fraudulent execution of lease documents in November 2023;
• Breach of a 2009 High Court order;
• Misrepresenting a “Good Will” payment from a former Prime Minister as a final lease payment.

McNeil immediately denied all accusations, branding the suspension “unprocedural” and insisting he was never given the chance to respond before disciplinary action was taken.

He vowed to challenge the matter legally.

However, in a turn of events, PS Cheka who initially signed the suspension issued another letter dated 28 November 2025 informing McNeil that the suspension had been revoked and set aside.

“This letter serves to inform you that your suspension has now been revoked and set aside, commencing the date of this notice.

“On the same note, your suspension conditions are also withdrawn.

“You are therefore required to resume your normal duties immediately,” the letter stated.

No explanation was given for the reversal of the decision.

McNeil confirmed to the media following the development on Friday that his suspension was revoked.

McNeil has continually rejected the allegations and says he has “solid grounds and good evidence” proving they are false.

He added that if he had been given the opportunity earlier, he would have explained himself.

Over recent years, McNeil has been at the centre of several major land litigations that resulted in unlawfully allocated government land being returned to the state.

One of the biggest cases he is currently pursuing supported by Cabinet is the government’s move to resume Levers Solomons Ltd land in the Lungga–Henderson–Tenaru corridor.

Levers has challenged the government’s action, and the matter remains before the High Court.

McNeil is now expected to return to work immediately while preparing to publicly address the issue in a press conference.

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BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

A former educationist now serving as a consultant at the Ministry of Education and Human Resources says the long-term solution to unemployment in the country lies in technical skills development rather than academic qualifications alone.

Clement Tito made the statement while delivering his keynote address during a graduation ceremony at Tabaka Technical Institute on Thursday November 27, 2025.

He said there is a growing disparity between the number of young people seeking employment and the limited availability of job opportunities, calling for urgent strategies to better prepare the younger generation for decent work.

“As we celebrate today, we must face the realities of our national situation. If we look at the statistics, 91.7 percent of Solomon Islanders are currently unemployed, leaving only 9.3 percent in formal employment,” Tito said.

He added that the national school dropout rate now stands at 53.7 percent, meaning more than half of the country’s young people do not complete their basic or secondary education.

“Our economic growth remains modest and vulnerable. These are numbers of a wake-up call,” Tito said.

According to Tito, these figures clearly show the urgent need for the country to redirect its education priorities away from a purely academic focus towards technical and vocational training.

He stressed that technical education and skills development offer immediate pathways to employment, small business creation, community service and participation in national development projects.

“The solution to unemployment is not office jobs.

“Today we celebrate more than certificates and completed courses – we celebrate skills, competence and the ability to contribute meaningfully to national development. Technical education is not just another pathway. It is the engine room of productivity, innovation and employment creation,” Tito said.

He said strengthening technical training institutions across Solomon Islands is critical if the nation is to address unemployment and empower young people with practical, market-driven skills.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Ministry of Women Youth, Children and Family Affairs have for the first time received a budget of nearly SBD$20 million.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) Dr. Cedric Alependava revealed this during the Ministry’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on Thursday November 20,^, 2025.

Dr Alependava told PAC during the 2026 Appropriation Bill 2025 that with the recurrent budget of 14,709,492 and development budget of 4,725,000 it gives a total of 19,434,492.

He said that the increase is due to the fact that his team had made several Cabinet papers.

“First one is we did Cabinet paper for Family Affairs Division, particularly asking our government to provide funding purposely to do awareness and educational program throughout the country to reduce violence against women and girls, and simultaneously violence against children and all forms of abuses,” he said.

He said that the Ministry were happy to be given one million instead of three million they have asked for.

He stressed that this would help the Ministry to collaborate with churches to be able to try and reduce the high incidence of violence against women and girls and children in the country.

He also told PAC that the Ministry is currently conducting a study survey supported by DFAT, and the Ministry of National Statistics Division to able to track the investments and whether they’re having a direct impact in the reduction in violence, gender-based violence or domestic violence.

“We are now doing a study survey. This will be supported by DFAT, and my ministry, including the Ministry of National Statistics Division. We are doing our research to find out the current status of violence against women and girls. The previous study was done in the year 2009, health and family survey. That was the old figure we are using up until now,” Dr Alependava said.

He said that similar survey has also done with children division through Government support together with UNICEF.

With the current budget, Dr Alependava said his Ministry is hopeful to follow up and complete unfinished projects in the country.

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Australia and New Zealand will together contribute $170 million over the next five years to support Pacific Island members of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus.

The contribution was announced at the 2025 PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting, held on Thursday November 27 in Honiara, a joint statement from the governments of Australia and New Zealand said.

Australia was represented by Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Nita Green, while Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Scott Simpson represented New Zealand.

Announcing the new contribution, Assistant Minister Green said Australia wanted to deepen regional economic integration in the Pacific.

““In a time of rapid change in the global trade environment, our region can be a source of reliability and prosperity,” said Assistant Minister Green.

“As the primary vehicle driving regional economic integration, PACER Plus delivers both.”

New Zealand’s Minister Simpson, in making the announcement, highlighted New Zealand’s commitment to supporting economic growth across the region.

“In signing the PACER Plus Implementing Arrangement, we are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to trade growth, prosperity, and Pacific regional economic integration through trade.”

PACER Plus is a regional trade and development agreement that aims to make it easier for Pacific countries to trade, attract investment and grow their economies. The agreement entered into force in 2020.

The new investment of $170m is an increase to the support provided during the first five years of the agreement, following calls from Pacific ministers to sustainably resource popular labour mobility programs such as Australia’s PALM Scheme and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

The contribution will support the agreement’s Development and Economic Cooperation Work Program and the PACER Plus Implementation Unit. Under the Work Program, Pacific PACER Plus members can access support to strengthen their trade and investment environments, including in areas such as customs, e-commerce and labour mobility.

Australia and New Zealand both grant 100% tariff-free access to PACER Plus members, allowing Pacific countries to take advantage of their consumer markets.

The agreement has ten members: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

SI faces urgent deadline to meet tough EU anti-deforestation rules

BY NED GAGAHE

SOLOMON ISLANDS is racing against time as the European Union’s new anti-deforestation law moves toward full enforcement in December 2025—putting the country’s premium cocoa and palm oil exports at serious risk unless strict new conditions are met.

James Kana, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Consultant and Chair of the Cocoa Working Group, shared this on Wednesday November 27, 2025 during the country’s first-ever forum on the EUDR regulation at the Art Gallery.

Kana told stakeholders that the regulation will fundamentally change how Solomon Islands trades with Europe, stressing that exporters must now prove that cocoa and other commodities do not come from land deforested after 31 December 2020.

“The European Union is one of the biggest markets in the world. Once they enforce this regulation, any country that does not comply will simply lose access,” he said.

Moses Pelomo, SICCI Cocoa Working Group Advisor, said the regulation affects all EUDR-listed commodities, and for Solomon Islands the most relevant are palm oil and cocoa.

He said the cocoa industry, in particular, will face extensive new requirements related to traceability, geolocation data, legal documentation, and supply-chain transparency.

“This includes all cocoa derivatives such as beans, cocoa paste, cocoa powder, cocoa butter/fat, and even leaves and shells,” Pelomo added.

Cocoa—one of the country’s most important rural income sources—is among the commodities directly covered by the EUDR.

Kana explained that farmers, exporters, traders, and even shipping companies will now be required to meet strict traceability standards, including:

• GPS or satellite mapping of all cocoa farms

• Full supply-chain traceability from producer to EU importer

• Digital submission of geolocation data to the EU information system

• Legal proof of land ownership and production legitimacy

“All cocoa products—beans, paste, powder, fat, even leaves and shells—must meet these requirements,” Kana said.

He warned that the Solomon Islands could lose its long-standing access to the premium European cocoa market if systems are not set up soon.

Historically, Solomon Islands cocoa has earned premium prices in Europe because of its high quality.

Kana stressed that compliance cannot be carried by farmers alone, saying government involvement is essential in establishing legal frameworks and supporting data collection.

“This is not only about farmers and exporters. It involves regulators, data collectors, importers, and everyone in the logistics chain,” he said.

The EU had initially expected proof-of-concept readiness by 2024 but extended the timeline. However, Kana reminded the forum that extensions will not continue indefinitely, and full enforcement begins this December.

The historic forum was jointly organised by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI).

Although the EUDR officially came into force in June 2023, full implementation was postponed to 31 December 2025.

Cocoa remains a lifeline for thousands of rural households who rely on small but consistent earnings for school fees and daily needs. Any disruption to EU access, Kana warned, would have direct consequences on family livelihoods and the national economy.

“We must not see this only as a threat,” he said. “If we adapt, we can continue to access one of the world’s most valuable markets.”

Diana Yates, owner of Cathliro Commodities—a local exporter of cocoa to the EU—reinforced the importance of maintaining access to the European market, which remains a major buyer of profitable cocoa products.

She said exporters urgently need government support to secure funding and work with the right partners to develop EUDR-compliant mapping and traceability systems.

Yates called on government representatives at the forum to understand the challenges exporters face and to help secure the essential resources required for compliance.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Road maintenance works along the Busurata Road in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province, are progressing well, with contractor Exodus Trade Development advancing regravelling and drainage improvements on the vital highlands route.

In a statement Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) said as of last week, the company had completed five kilometres of regravelling heading towards Ngadefiu Village.

Works are expected to reach the halfway point of the 15-kilometre stretch by next week.

The statement said for drainage improvements, steel components are currently being fabricated at the contractor’s Kunu site, while excavation of 500 metres of drainage channels is already underway.

Concrete pouring is scheduled to begin in the coming days to help improve water runoff in this high-rainfall region.

Managing Director of Exodus Trade Development, Jeremiah Fo’onota, acknowledged the cooperation of local landowners, which has enabled easier access to gravel sites. He confirmed that the crew remains on schedule and plans to continue progressing towards the Okwala area.

Busurata Road runs through one of Malaita’s key agricultural zones in the highlands of Kwara’ae, serving farmers, market vendors and surrounding communities.

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the National Transport Fund (NTF) as part of ongoing efforts to improve market access, service delivery and safer travel for rural road users.

The Transport Infrastructure Management Services Division (TIMSD) within the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) continues to supervise the works to ensure compliance with quality standards at all stages.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Plans for a major investment in a tuna processing operation and international port at Bina Harbour, Malaita, were presented at the 14th Australia–Solomon Islands Business Forum held in Brisbane last week.

A statement from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) said the Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant Project Team from the ministry updated contractors and development partners on the successful completion of the 30 percent Concept Design for the port and landside facilities that will support the processing plant.

The team also outlined progress on the cost plan and the broader business case.

During the Forum, the delegation highlighted significant opportunities for both Solomon Islands and Australian companies to partner in construction, engineering, services, and other areas linked to the project.

Once operational, the Bina Harbour project is expected to generate up to 1,600 direct jobs and unlock new commercial activity through the construction and servicing of the plant, port, and surrounding community infrastructure.

The MFMR delegation was led by the Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Hon Bradley Tovosia.

He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Dr Christain Ramofafia, Deputy Secretary (Projects) Lisa Sugumanu, and Tuna Industry Adviser Peter Cusack from the Bina Harbour Project Office (BHPO).

The BHPO is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), which continues to support MFMR in planning, coordination, and preparation for what is expected to be one of the country’s largest fisheries sector investments.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has reaffirmed the commitment of Solomon Islands government to the One-China Principle.

Speaking at the launching of the second phase of the Rural Sustainable Development Program yesterday in Honiara, Manele expressed the steadfast commitment of GNUT to continue collaborate with PRC on the basis of the principle. 

“I wish to assure of our commitment to that important principle and we look forward to the basis of the principle, as well as other UN Chartered Principles, to continue the collaboration that we have developed over the last six or seven years.

“Going forward, I assure you that recognition in terms of that important principle underpins our bilateral and diplomatic relations,” he said.

Charge d Affairs of PRC Embassy office in Honiara, Yang Jie emphasized that the one-China principle is the political China’s bilateral relations with 183 countries in the world, including Solomon lslands.

He explained the connotation of the one-China principle as;

• There is only one China in the world
• Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory
• And the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

Jie added the one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations enshrined in UNGA Resolution 2758.

“To uphold the one-China principle means resolute opposition to any form of so-called “Taiwan independence”, and support for China’s efforts to achieve national reunification.

“Looking ahead, on the basis of the one-China principle, China stands ready to enhance alignment between the B&R Initiative with SIG’s development strategy.

“Prioritize the welfare of the people of the SI and expand practical cooperation in a wide range of areas to create more benefits for the people, thus jointly build a community with a shared future for our two countries,” he said.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) has praised the fruitful partnership the country has with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

Speaking at the launching of the second phase of the Rural Sustainable Development Program in Honiara, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele described China as a vital development partner of the country.

“China today stands as a significant development partner for the people and government of the Solomon Islands.

“The collaboration between our two countries has not only benefited the individuals and communities directly involved in the RSDP program.

“But it also strengthens and deepens the bond between your (China) government and the Solomon Islands.

“With this cordial friendship and relationship, we can achieve even greater success and make a lasting impact on the lives of those in need,” he said.

Manele added, as the second phase of the RSDP has launched, he hopes the program will contribute to transform by creating sustainable change that benefit both current and future generations.

The prime Minister told the PRC Embassy in Honiara that their investment in the RSDP program is an investment in the future of the country. The GNUT is grateful for generosity and trust in shared vision the countries have for a brighter future.

Charge d Affairs of PRC Embassy office in Honiara, Yang Jie said since he arrived in the country 3 months ago, he felt the momentum and pulse of substantial progress achieved over the past 6 years since China and SI established diplomatic relations.

Adding that practical cooperation keeps flourishing under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

He emphasized that China is the largest trading partner to country and has implemented zero tariffs on all Solomon Islands products exported to China.

“In the first 9 months of 2025, bilateral trade witnessed 77 million USD surplus in favor of SI. While China and SI are good partners under the Belt and Road Initiative.

“And during the past 6 years, many cooperation projects such as the National Stadium, SINU dormitories, NRH Comprehensive Medical Center, communication towers, Auki Road, power station, roads, bridges, seaports have been implemented,” Jie mentioned.

He further added China and Solomon Islands are good partners in terms of health service, agricultural cooperation and other sectors.

“People to people exchanges between China and SI are growing. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1000 Solomon Islanders have undertaken training programs in China, which ranks first in Pacific Island countries,” Jie said.

In addition, he emphasized that China is glad to support a wide range of “small yet smart” livelihood projects like RSDP across the country.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Solomon Island government and People’s Republic of China Embassy office in Honiara have launched the SBD $80 million for the second phase of the Rural Sustainable Development Program (RSDP) in Honiara yesterday.

This milestone launching marks the continuation of the RSDP, which will be implemented through the Ministry of Rural Development in the 50 constituencies – with an allocation of SBD $1.5 million per constituency.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele expressed gratitude to the PRC for support and partnership on the program.

He said since the program started in late 2023, it has contributed and invested more than SBD $80 million in grants for communities across the country.

“This program has been instrumental in improving the lives of many people, both in rural and urban communities in our country.

“It provides access to important rural community infrastructures, increasing opportunities for local level socio-economic development and improving community livelihoods in all sectors,” Manele said.

The Prime Minister was delighted to see positive impact the RSDP program has on the people in this country, and look forward for similar impact in the second phase.

“I am highly positive that this second phase will have more positive impacts in our communities and constituencies.

“So, I am looking forward to celebrating together with the PRC the successes that will come out of this not-so-distant future,” he said.

The second phase of the RSDP also represents continue commitment by PRC towards sustainable development and empowerment of rural communities, to build a better future for the people of Solomon Islands.

Charge d Affairs of PRC Embassy office in Honiara, Yang Jie also said at the ceremony that since they started supporting the program in 2023, it brought immense benefit on communities in the country.

“Under the program, fish centers, community clinics, school classrooms, roads and other infrastructure have been built.

“Many equipment, facilities and materials such as fishing boats, OBMs, building materials, water tanks have been delivered to local people,” he said.

Jie added the RSDP has lifted the living standards of many communities. It promoted economic and social development in rural Solomon.

He further said with the launch of new phase of RSDP, it will enhance the infrastructure level and improve the quality of life for the local people from all 50 constituencies.

“We believe that under the leadership of the Prime Minister and with the efforts of all MPs, MRD officials and stakeholders, the implementation of RSDP will bring more tangible and accessible outcomes for the social and economic development of Solomon Islands,” Jie said.

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