BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The upgrade project of Commonwealth Street Road was completed and officially commemorated over the week.

The brief commemoration occurred Thursday at Commonwealth Street, Point Cruz.

Attendees of the event include the Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, the senior diplomatic members from the Embassy of Japan, the Embassy of China, the New Zealand High Commission, the U.S. Embassy, the new Shashti Affairs to U.S. Embassy of Konyara, the Most Reverend Christopher Cardone, SIPA Deputy Chair, Mr. Moses Virivolomo, the Chairman of the Board, and also the Acting Chairman of the Board.

The China Railway Construction Engineering Group constructed the upgrade.

The key and guest speaker at the event was the Minister for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, Manasseh Maelanga.

The other two speakers at the event are the former SIPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr () and the Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Tai Wei Ming.

The highlight of the event includes the cutting of the ribbon and a tour around the completed road from Guests, and SIPA employees.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

IN a major boost to digital education, 121 schools across the Solomon Islands have been gifted laptops, a move aimed at improving digital connectivity and online educational resources for students and teachers.

The Australian and New Zealand Governments provided the laptops through the Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) at an estimated cost of SBD$750,000.

During a simple handover ceremony organized at the Kukum SDA hall on Friday, February 14th, representatives of Education Providers (EP) took ownership of the laptops on behalf of the recipient schools.

New Zealand (NZ) Deputy High Commissioner Rebecca Williams highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating:

“These laptops represent the increase connectivity in schools across the country and provide opportunities for teachers and students to improve their digital literacy,” she said.

She also expressed hope that the laptops would be used effectively to provide lasting access to essential teaching and learning resources.

As the ESSP nears its conclusion in less than six weeks, Williams assured that New Zealand’s support would not end there.

“We will continue work hard in the new phase of the education sector support with the MEHRD to implement key reforms and improve education service delivery across the country,” she added.

Recently, the Australian government has renewed its commitment with the signing of its new eight-year SBD230 million (AUD 44 million) Stronger Education Together (SET) program.

According to the Australian High Commission office, this new program aims to improve equitable school access and enhance the quality of education across Solomon Islands.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The People’s Alliance for Change, Reform and Advancement (PACRA) government of Makira Ulawa province has set-up a secretariat office within the premier’s office to strengthen the administration of the province.

The establishment of the secretariat office is to support divisional heads for the effective implementation of the provincial policy.

Premier of Makira Ulawa province, Stanley Siapu said since his government has taken office, the management and administration of the province were not connected, which contributed to poor attitude of staffs toward their duty.

“Lateness and attendance performance of staffs were very poor. These are some of the areas have been contributing to failures faced by province in the past.

“These setbacks prompted my government to carry out reform and fortify the administration and work performance of the province,” he noted.

Siapu explained this is the basis for the establishment of the secretariat office.

He noted the office will work in collaboration with management and HOD to effectively implement the policy of the province.

Siapu said the first area to look at on the reform is the administration. This is to restrengthen, recapacitate and resourcing the administration.

“Like, when we came in there was no reception. No telephone at the office. When there is no communication, it is next to none.

“Virtually, there was no telephone at the office. We are working closely with Our Telekom to reestablish and reconnect our telephone system,” he said.

The premier said his government is also looking at the organizational structure of the provincial government.

“This is so that we can determine as to the effectiveness of the divisional heads, offices and positions within the province.

“Review will be done to determine the performance, essence and necessity of offices and posts, if they are functioning or not.

“This is so we can see to the alternatives and effectively perform to the best of our ability and maximise the resources at hand,” he said.

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By Loretta B Manele

Closely monitoring the treatment of migrant workers at their destination of work along with employer adherence to contract terms and conditions is one of the recommendations from a recent IOM report.

Emmanuel Pitakaka, national project officer from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) spoke about this when IOM launched its “Returned Migrant Workers in Solomon Islands” 2025 report last month.

He outlined factors from the report that supported the above recommendation.

Pitakaka said of all migrant workers from their survey, only 55% of the respondents stated that the terms of their employment agreement were fully upheld by their employers.

On the other hand, the rest reported not receiving the salary contraction due to them, experiencing deductions that exceed contract terms, were provided with accommodation that didn’t meet the description in their contract and were assigned work that didn’t align with their contracts.

Pitakaka said another reason for this recommendation is that almost a third of respondents experienced a change to the terms and conditions of their employment while at the destination.

He mentioned that 42% of workers were not consulted by their employer prior to when these contracts or changes being made.

Pitakaka also stated that when workers were consulted, close to half of them felt they could not refuse to receive any incentive by their employers.

He stressed that there are more justifications for this recommendation.

Pitakaka said almost a third of respondents experienced a change.

This change is that 41% of them reported being treated unfairly at work, 50% of all workers reported overpriced accommodation, 13% reported overcrowded accommodation and nearly 1 in 10 workers reported unpaid hours as well as discrimination based on ethnicity, racism and unexpected wage deductions.

Pitakaka noted that only 15% of workers were offered private accommodation in their contract destination and only half of all respondents did not feel that the accommodation arrangements ensured their privacy.

The above were reasons why it is recommended that there is close monitoring of how migrant workers are being treated at their destination of work and of their employers adherence to the contract terms and conditions.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Solomon Islands must urgently raise awareness about its Copyright Act, 1987, according to Pita Niubalavu, an Intellectual Property Lawyer and expert in copyright law.

Niubalavu emphasized that many artists and associations in the country are unaware of the protections available under the law, leaving their rights vulnerable to infringement.

“The Copyright Act is in place and has been there for a long time. It empowers artists and police officers alike,” Niubalavu explained this the Island Sun asked him about his views on the way forward for Solomon Islands.

“However, many artists still believe that there’s no copyright law in the country. This is simply not true.”

Niubalavu pointed out that the Copyright Act of Solomon Islands is similar to the Copyright Act in Australia, offering artists a legal framework that protects their works from unauthorized use.

The law not only safeguards the rights of creators but also grants power to the courts to issue damages and injunctions in cases of infringement.

“Now, what we need to do is start raising awareness, not just among the artists, but also the public, including businesses, government departments, and entertainment venues,” Niubalavu said. “There needs to be more education on the fact that this law exists and that it directly benefits the creators.”

One concerning issue Niubalavu highlighted was that many businesses in Honiara, including shops, hotels, and even public offices, are using music without obtaining the proper licenses.

“This widespread practice of using music for free, without paying royalties to the artists, is a direct violation of the Copyright Act.

“I was shocked to learn that none of the shops or hotels in Honiara hold a license to use music. This means they are violating copyright law by using music without compensating the artists who created it,” Niubalavu said.

Niubalavu called for action to address this gap and ensure that businesses understand their responsibility to secure licenses for the music they play.

“It’s time for artists to organize themselves and advocate for the enforcement of this law,” he said.

“But awareness needs to spread across the country, especially to all government entities, businesses, radio and TV stations, and any other users of music. They must understand that without a license, their use of music is illegal.”

“The message is clear: Solomon Islands’ Copyright Act, 1987, provides essential protection for artists, but more effort is needed to ensure that everyone—from creators to music users—understands its significance.

With Niubalavu’s call for widespread awareness, the country has an opportunity to better support its artists and ensure that intellectual property rights are respected and enforced.

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By Loretta B Manele

Solomon Islands has extended an open invitation to international investors, governments and stakeholders to join the country in shaping the tourism industry.

This is according to a press release from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) about Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele’s participation at the World Governments Summit roundtable on the ‘Future of Tourism’, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, (UAE) this week.

Speaking at the event, Manele emphasized on Solomon Islands growing tourism industry and its dedication to unlocking its full potential for sustainable progress.

He said looking towards the future, Solomon Islands is focused on creating a model of tourism that balances environmental sustainability, cultural preservation and community empowerment while fostering economic growth.

Manele voiced that Solomon Islands tourism strategy is rooted in the belief that community involvement is essential.

“The people of Solomon Islands are the true custodians of our islands and their voices must be heard in shaping the future of tourism here.”

Whilst addressing the summit, Manele said the national government has set a number of ambitious targets to achieve by the year 2035.

He stated that these targets include; increasing visitor arrivals from 28,000 to 100,000 by improving air connectivity, destination marketing and tourism infrastructure, boosting of tourism contribution to GDP through strategic investments and policy reforms and diversification of tourism products.

There is also another target which is new job creation for youth and women in areas such as hospitality, cultural tourism, adventure tourism and eco-tourism as well as the development of skilled workforce.

Manele said to achieve the above goals, the government has identified essential strategic pillars which are; investment in infrastructure and connectivity such as expanding airport and maritime facilities, improving transport infrastructure and advancing digital connectivity to support tourism growth.

To add on, other strategic channels the government has also identified are; protection of marine ecosystems, cultural heritage and biodiversity, encouraging eco-tourism and community-based tourism projects, destination marketing and promotion, regulatory and policy reforms and public-private partnerships and international collaboration.

Manele stressed that as Solomon Islands embarks on this transformative journey, the government extends an open invitation to international investors, governments and stakeholders to join in shaping the future of Solomon Islands tourism industry.

“The World Government Summit provides a unique opportunity to form partnerships that will positively impact the global tourism landscape. We invite you to explore investment opportunities in the Solomon Islands and help us build a thriving, sustainable tourism industry that will benefit our people and the world.”

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