BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

WESTERN Province Premier, Billy Veo, urges Provincial Assembly Members, the provincial administration and Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to proactively identify development gaps and opportunities as the province works towards strengthening its future development roadmap.

Speaking at the opening of the Ward Profiling Workshop in Gizo this week, Premier Veo said the initiative provides a critical platform for stakeholders to assess current challenges and plan strategic investments in key areas such as service delivery, infrastructure, health and livelihoods.

He emphasised that the workshop is not merely a procedural exercise, but a vital step towards building a “culture of evidence-based decision-making.”

“This workshop presents an opportunity to identify gaps in service delivery, infrastructure development, health and livelihood.

“Once finalised, the document will feed directly into the review of Western Provincial strategic development plans,” Veo said.

Veo reminded participants that ward profiles will play a central role in shaping future policies and budgets.

He said the decisions made will shape the direction of Western Province for years to come.

Veo said ward profiles will influence how resources are allocated and how the province will engage with donors and measure progress.

He described the development of ward profiles as an “intergenerational document” that will guide socio-economic priorities across the province and ensure that communities—no matter how remote—are heard and included.

Veo encourages participants to approach the discussions with openness, curiosity and collaboration.

“Let us listen to each other, challenge assumptions, and work together to ensure that the final profiles reflect the true character and needs of our various wards and communities,” he said.

He expressed hope that the workshop will be productive, insightful and lay a strong foundation for sustainable development across Western Province.

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Motion of no-confidence planned for Premier Asilaua

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

A motion of no confidence is being planned against Malaita Premier, Elijah Asilaua.

Non-executives are reportedly in talks with members of the executive to make up the numbers to support the motion of no-confidence.

Malaita Finance Minister, Lemuel Kevianga confirmed yesterday being aware of the planned motion.

Mr Kevianga welcomes the motion saying the executive is rock solid with its 21 members, a clear majority in the 33-ward province.

“Yes, I can confirm that a motion of no-confidence is being planned by the non-executive who are trying to lure members of the executive. But we are rock solid with our 21 MPA members,” Kevianga speaking to Island Sun yesterday said.

Finance Minister Kevianga said any motion of no-confidence will not help Malaita Province.

“Currently, the Malaita government is in full swing with development projects and a lot of developments are taking place in Malaita province.

“This is due to the stability enjoyed by the Malaita governance. But, if the motion of no-confidence happens and causes instability, it will unwind a lot of hard work we have input towards moving Malaita forward in terms of development.

“Our government’s policies are aligned with the policies of the national government, thus all the developments that are going on in Malaita, and many more ahead,” Kevianga said.

Leader of Malaita’s non-executives, Philip Kwato’o, MPA for Ward 29 in Central Kwara’ae, speaking to Island Sun yesterday said they are waiting on members of the executive who have promised to switch over to the non-executive side before submitting a notice with the Speaker of Malaita’s provincial chamber.

Mr Kwato’o said the motion is necessary to discuss on the floor of provincial chamber the failures of Premier Asilaua and his government.

“There are a lot of issues wrong with the current government, the Premier and his government do not have vision for Malaita province going forward, Malaita continues to have revenue problems, the provincial basket is always empty, and their priorities are all over the place, not meeting the bigger needs of Malaita.

“Many current projects being implemented in Malaita are from the previous government, under former Premier, Martin Fini, not the current one.

“For example, the current government recently visited Malaita’s sister province in China, and only asked for solar lights for Auki. While there are bigger needs for Malaita, they only asked for solar street lights,” Kwato’o said.

Kwato’o could not comment on how many MPAs from the government side they are in talks with to switch over, saying it is still too early.

But he said it is a good number of executive MPAs who have lost confidence in Premier Asilaua’s leadership, and are looking to have a new government.

One of the executive MPAs reportedly supporting the motion of no-confidence plan, Malaita’s Fisheries Minister and MPA for ward 21, Jerry Hite, denied this when contacted by Island Sun yesterday.

“I was only made aware of the plan for motion of no confidence last night, and I am not in support of it. I am with Premier Asilaua and our government is rock solid,” Mr Hite said.

Premier Asilaua and his government took office in May last year.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Rex Ramofafia, Minister of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) says climate change is no longer just an environmental issue, but a a key economic issue as well.

He made the remark when delivering the keynote address at the “2nd CBSI-ADB-APAEA Joint Workshop” last Friday at Heritage Park Hotel.

Ramofafia said for small island economies like that of Solomon Islands, climate events directly affect food prices, infrastructure and trade.

“When supply chains are disrupted by floods, storms and droughts, prices rise, our people bear the effects of climate-induced inflation through higher costs of goods and services,” he said.

Ramofafia stressed that while global energy and commodity markets have remained relatively stable in recent times due to muted global demand, the risks from climate-related shocks persist.

He said this means our monetary policy frameworks need to account for climate risks and potential price volatility.

Moreover, the Member of Parliament for Fataleka Constituency said fiscal policy has a role to play.

“By investing in private fiscal infrastructure, that makes our economy more resilient, and by supporting a shift towards renewable energy,” he said.

Ramofafia went on to state that research on how climate change affects inflation in some islands is especially relevant.

He said it gives us local evidence on how global issues are shaping our economy and how monetary and fiscal tools can work together to keep prices stable while maintaining macroeconomic stability, as well as building a climate-efficient economy.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Policies work better together and neither policy can do the job alone.

Finance Minister, Rex Ramofafia, referring to fiscal and monetary policies, expressed the sentiment at the recent “2nd CBSI-ADB-APAEA Joint Workshop” last week at Heritage Park Hotel.

He said neither policy can do the job alone.

“Fiscal policy provides a long-term foundation through investment, public services, and debt management, while monetary policy helps manage demand and keep inflation under control.

“When both policies implement each other or complement each other, the economy is more stable and more resilient, said Ramofafia.

On top of that, he said there are also opportunities for regional cooperation, including research, creating regional disaster insurance or even exploring shared stabilization funds would help us manage common risks more effectively.

The Finance Minister also stated that the Pacific is stronger when it works together.

Moreover, he also offered three recommendations.

The first one is that resilience is about preparation and not just recovery to which Ramofafia added that investing now in climate adaptation, digital infrastructure, and social protection will make us better able to handle future shocks.

Second to that, he said debt sustainability must stay at the heart of our fiscal strategy.

Ramofafia said sound management of public finance builds confidence and creates room to respond when new challenges rise.

Lastly, he spoke on how capacity building is vital.

“Our partnership and collaboration must ensure the transfer of skills and knowledge so our institutions can produce independent, high-quality research to inform sound policy decisions,” he said.

Ramofafia expressed that research presented at the workshop ranging from climate change and inflation to remittance and fiscal coordination, will provide valuable insights for policymakers across the region for our Pacific.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Malu’u copra buying center facility in North Malaita, is reportedly operating without cash according to copra farmers in and around Malu’u.

Copra products from farmers are frequently credited in advance by the Commodities Export and Marketing Authority (CEMA) buying center.

The farmers claim that they had to wait months for CEMA buying center to buy their copra products.

They claimed that occasionally, the CEMA center would send them to borrow money from a nearby canteen in Malu’u and then return the funds to the canteen after the facility received payment from CEMA.

The Malu’u copra buying center facility is operated by the Commodities Export and Marketing Authority (CEMA) for buying and exporting of copra and cocoa.

It was recommissioned in May 2024 and is a crucial part of CEMA’s efforts, supported by government funding, to boost agricultural exports and support the rural economy in the region.

The center serves as a buying point for copra and cocoa from local farmers in the North Malaita region.

In a response to the complains, Simon Chottu, Director of the CEMA Cabinet Sub-Committee said that CEMA Head Office will look into the matter urgently to ensure fair and timely payment for all copra farmers.

“Thank you for sharing this important concern. We really appreciate the farmers around Malu’u for speaking up. CEMA Head Office is aware of the situation and will look into it urgently to ensure fair and timely payment for all copra farmers,” he said.

Mr Chottu said that farmers feedback helps CEMA identify gaps and improve their services at the buying points.

“We value the hard work of every farmer, and we’re committed to addressing this issue so that everyone benefits equally under the CEMA revitalization program,” Chottu said.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Malaita Outer Islands Constituency (MOI) office has announced that the they have recently received Solar energy project support.

A statement from the MOI constituency office said the official handover of solar system project units shows that each constituency received one full set of solar systems.

The statement said this initiative is funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) through the Solomon Islands Government under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Disaster Management headed by Hon. MP Polycarp Paea.

It further adds that this project is part of the ongoing climate change resilience program which aims to support rural and community-based institutions such as schools, health clinics, and churches.

The MOI Office said the solar systems will provide a sustainable and reliable energy source, improving access to essential services across these communities.

According to the MOI constituency office, it’s Constituency Project Officer (CPO) represented Member of Parliament for MOI, Hon. Polycarp Paea during the handover ceremony and signed on his behalf, as he is currently abroad on official duty.

“We extend our appreciation to the Ministry, the Solomon Islands Government, and to the PRC for this valuable contribution to our rural development efforts and our collective fight against climate change,” the MOI constituency office said.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Central banks in the Pacific region have improved significantly in terms of producing policy-based research papers and this has helped to inform better monetary policy decisions.

Dr John Beirne from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised this whilst speaking at the “2nd CBSI-ADB-APAEA Joint Workshop” on Friday, Oct 31, 2025 at Heritage Park Hotel.

Initially, he referred to the first workshop as “extremely impactful”, adding that ADB continues to be delighted in being involved in the event which ADB also co-sponsored.

Dr Beirne said economists across different central banks that they have been involved in over the years with APAEA (Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association) have improved significantly in terms of producing policy-based research papers thus, helping to better inform monetary policy decisions.

“So as a result, ADB is delighted to continue to be involved with this type of event across different central banks in the region,” he said.

Dr Beirne stressed that this type of workshop is important at the current juncture and pointing out what CBSI Governor, Luke Forau said, reiterated that there have been many challenges facing economies not only in this region but globally as well.

“Therefore, it makes the importance of research underlying those monetary policy decisions and fiscal policy decisions even more important.

“So, I think if you take the region here, obviously trade, trade policy uncertainty are key issues at the moment that are affecting economies, more generally.

“But also, geopolitical tensions have the possibility to spike at any moment and this can affect commodity prices, can affect inflation,” he said.

Dr Beirne also highlighted that bringing monetary policy decisions that is more coordinated with fiscal policy is also very important at the present moment.

“…..particularly where there are constraints of capacities on both areas and also constraints in terms of space in both areas,”

“Fiscal policy may be constrained in terms of its vulnerability to debt, vulnerability on impacts on bond yields and so on,” he added.

Dr Beirne said there can also be monetary policy space issues as well.

“So fiscal policy and monetary policy should work together in addressing these challenges that we face in a more effective way,” he said.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

The remittance Solomon Islands receive is an important source of income however, it depends on what’s happening in other countries.

Minister of Finance and Treasury (MoFT), Rex Ramofafia highlighted this in his keynote address at the “2nd CBSI-ADB-APAEA Joint Workshop, that was recently held at Heritage Park Hotel.

He said for many Pacific households, remittance is an important source of income.

“For example, in Solomon Islands, remittance from our seasonal workers has grown significantly over the past five years, rising from $80 million in 2020 to $457 million in 2024,” he said.

The Minister stated that while it provides a vital boost to household income, this source of income depends on what happens in other countries.

He said this in regards to the labour market, growth and policies in other countries, pointing out that when global conditions weaken, it affects the flow of remittance into the country, affecting spending and demand at home.

Ramofafia mentioned that research on the link between inflation and remittance will help us understand this better.

He stressed that remittance can influence exchange rate, consumption, and even local price pressure.

Ramofafia said that on top of that, global trade tensions and geopolitical risks continue to create uncertainty, as also highlighted by the previous speakers at the workshop.

He noted that for a small open economy as that of Solomon Islands, we need fiscal and monetary policies that are well-coordinated to boost international support for households and maintain economic stability.

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