“Premier Sagupari’s Government ready to roll”

BY BEN BILUA

PREMIER of Central Provincial Government, Kenneth Sagupari has officially announced his executive members after a formal proceeding was done at the Ministry of Provincial Government yesterday.

Five Executive members took their oath in front of the Speaker of Central Province, Provincial Secretary and officials from the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS).

The five executive members are; Deputy Premier and Minister of Education & Human Resources Development, Sports, Youths, Women’s and Children’s Affairs, Hon Percival Vaga’a, Minister of Finance, Commerce and Investment Hon Dagnal Meleha, Minister of Lands, Forestry, Mines and Energy Hon Dennis Akorea, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon Richard Selson and Minister of Health and Medical Service Hon Edgar Tarai.

Sagupari took his oath last week as Premier and Minister of Tourism & Culture, Disaster, Police and Security.

Speaker of Central Provincial Assembly, Francis Moah congratulated Premier Sagupari and his executive for taking up roles and responsibilities to serve Central province.

He urged the appointed executive members to support the premier to deliver better services and development for the people of Central province.

“You have made an oath to serve Central Islands Province. I encourage you to work with the premier in any development aspiration,” Mr Moah said.

Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Provincial Government also shared similar sentiments saying that the oath is a binding document that articulates the role and responsibilities of each executive member to the people of Central Province.

“You have taken an oath to serve your people and also Solomon Islands. I want you to remember your oaths,” Robert Kaua said.

He also called on Sagupari and his executive to look at easy-to-execute and tangible projects that will have long term impacts.

“I encourage you to aim for one project that will make a living testament of your leadership.

“There will be lots of project ideas but not all projects are achievable, I encourage you to choose one project that will become a milestone of your leadership,” he said.

Premier Sagupari acknowledged his executive, officials from the ministry and officials from Central Province for their support towards the formation of his government.

He said his government is looking forward to working closely with the Ministry of Provincial Government, Central Provincial Administration and the people of Central Province.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Minister of Home Affairs Isikeli Tuwai Vave Jnr says he is liaising with the Minister for Police to elevate penalties for sexual offenders in a bid to deter offenders from committing sexual offences.

The Minister’s move came following the alleged raping of a 16-year-old girl at a community in east Honiara on 2 June 2025.

In a statement Minister Vave said as the Minister responsible for the Social Well-being of Solomon Islanders, he condemned such incident in strongest terms.

“As the Minister of Home Affairs, who is responsible for the Social Well-being of Solomon Islanders, I condemn in the strongest terms the extremely cruel alleged raping of a 16-year-old girl.

He said such cruel and brutal behaviour is unacceptable and must be stopped from happening again in our communities and nation.

The Minister said Solomon Islanders must fully engage in building and maintaining healthy relationships and having meaningful, authentic interactions with others.

“The victim is an innocent young girl and a citizen of our country whose life was shuttered and devastated and her entire life will no longer be the same again.

“In addition, feelings of uncertainty, despair, intimidation and fear will continue to haunt the victim for the rest of her life.

“I will be liaising with my colleague minister from the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services Jimson Tanaganda to elevate the penalties for sexual offences (rape, indecent assault and defilement) contained in the Criminal Procedure Code, Cap 7 of the Revised Laws of Solomon Islands.

“The proposed elevation of the punishments for rape and other sexual offences is to deter offenders from committing sexual offences.” Minister Vave said.

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BY NED GAGAHE

The National Parliament of Solomon Islands is set to host a one-day course on Parliamentary Roles and Processes to assist journalists in covering parliamentary proceedings and to help them better understand the fundamental processes of Parliament.

The training will be held at the Mendana Hotel on Monday, 16th June 2025.

Philemon Loe, Principal Media and Communications Officer, said the one-day course is a brief overview designed to support journalists in reporting on parliamentary activities more effectively.

“We see this as a very important component of our ongoing efforts to create and develop a well-versed and professional Press Gallery for 2026 and beyond,” Mr. Loe stated.

Topics to be covered Include:

• Roles and Functions of Standing Select Committees
• Roles and Functions of Special Select Committees
• The Lawmaking Process (General Overview)
• From National Policy to a Bill
• Structure of a Bill
• Debating Bills in Parliament – Rules of Debate
• Motions vs Bills – Key Differences
• Understanding the Enactment Formula
• Application and Implementation of Legislation

Those nominated (media organizations) to attend will be considered designated Parliamentary Political Reporters.

The program is supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

THE Chinese embassy recently handed over a batch of medical supplies, valued at an estimated SBD 168,000, to support the newly opened Comprehensive Medical Center at the National Referral Hospital (NRH).

Ambassador Cai Weiming described the donation as a gesture of goodwill and friendship from the Chinese people to the people of the Solomon Islands.

“We hope they could help the newly opened NRH CMC play a greater role in providing high quality medical services to the local population,” he said during the opening of the facility on Wednesday.

The ambassador also highlighted China’s ongoing support in strengthening the Solomon Islands’ health sector, stating that over 50 medical professionals, including doctors and nurses have participated in bilateral and multilateral training programs since early 2025.

Ambassador Weiming emphasized that the new center stands as a “monument to healing and hope,” demonstrating the strength of close cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands in advancing health priorities.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

HEALTH Minister Dr Paul Popora Bosawai has announced that the newly opened Comprehensive Medical Centre will soon begin offering advanced treatment for kidney stones, including laser procedure. 

Speaking at the official opening of the specialized facility on Wednesday, Minister Bosawai said the center will be equipped to manage kidney stone cases with modern technology.

“I was told by the urologist that we will have laser treatment available for kidney stones,” Minister Bosawai said.

 “This is a major step forward for our healthcare system, especially for those suffering from complications such as urinary obstruction and hydronephrosis.”

He added that the urologist has confirmed that the necessary equipment will arrive within the next two months. “With this capability, we will be able to treat patients more effectively,” the minister added.

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Tandai House of Chiefs claim their rights have been deprived by government, want dialogue

BY LORETTA B MANELE

The Tandai House of Chiefs are calling on the national government to have a roundtable discussion with them.

Father Patteson Tako, one of the chiefs spoke about this to the paper recently.

He stressed that the people of Tandai have been deprived of their rights by the national government through colonialism.

Tako highlighted that there is no proper acquisition of the lands of Tandai, people have become very poor in their own land and this is a sad story.

He explained that the Tandai House of Chiefs which include 5 tribes have met recently and request the present government to have a roundtable discussion with them in regards to partnering with HCC to create a native land trust account of which all business houses should be a part of for the benefit of the 5 tribes of Tandai.

Tako said from their meeting they have agreed to work with the government so that proper acquisition of Tandai is carried out, recognized and respected for the five tribes of Tandai namely; Haubata tribe, Kakau tribe, Simbo tribe, Lakuili tribe and Kindipale tribe.

He added that their other resolution is that the Seafront area must be well explained to the people of Tandai in regards to ownership according to the customs of their five tribes.

“We don’t dispute the current developers but we want some courtesy of respect and recognition in terms of benefits.”

Moreover, Tako said should we reflect on the past, there was an ethnic tension regarding land issues but we don’t want to repeat that.

“Time to fight is over.

All guns, knives and axes must be thrown in the sea. It is time for us to have dialogue to create a common understanding for the present and the future.”

Tako added that they also call on all MPAs of Guadalcanal province to work together with the Tandai House of Chiefs to address these issues.

“Without land, there is no development.”

Tako noted that the present government called on Tandai House of Chiefs to meet with the Ministry of Lands for the purpose of Greater Honiara and land recordings which they respect and accept.

However, he said the Tandai House of Chiefs also call on government to quickly address the Tandai land issue.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

EIGHT local journalists have successfully completed a weeklong International Media Visit to Australia, gaining valuable insights into media professionalism and the Australian media landscape.

The group, which returned over the weekend, began their visit in the Australian Capital Territory—Canberra—and concluded it in Sydney.

The visit provided first-hand experience and exposure to various aspects of the Australian media industry, including visits to some of the country’s media outlets and participations in roundtable discussions.

Ruthina Koroa, station manager of ZFM radio station and participant in the programme, described the tour of Triple J—a youth-focused radio station owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as a highlight of her visit.

 “The visit to triple J was the highlight, I learned how they maintain journalistic integrity while still being creative and relatable to younger audience. It was inspiring to see how they balance fun with serious reporting,” she said.

Koroa also extended her appreciation to the Australian Government stating “Many thanks to the Australian Government for the opportunity, it has helped us to grow as journalists and build strong connection with the media professionals.”

The eight participants include: Ronald Toito’ona (In-depth Solomons), Bradford Noda (Tavuli News), Christopher Adifaka, (Barava FM), Lachlan Eddie (SIBC), Ruthina Koroa (ZFM), Indy Mae’alasia (The Island Sun newspaper), Georgina Maka’a (In-depth Solomons) and Loretta Manele (The Island Sun newspaper).

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