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PCYC Donates $20,000 from Fishing Competition to Christian Care Centre

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BY NED GAGAHE

The Point Cruz Yacht Club (PCYC) has made a generous donation of $20,000 to the Christian Care Centre (CCC) in a heartwarming gesture aimed at supporting women and children affected by domestic violence.

The funds were raised through PCYC’s annual fishing competition, held earlier this year.

A total of 20 fishing teams participated in the competition, and the auction of their catches helped generate the $20,000 donation. The donation was presented to the CCC on Wednesday, where PCYC representative Baoro Laxton Koraua expressed the club’s commitment to giving back to the community.

“This donation is part of PCYC’s initiative to contribute to the welfare of the community, and we are proud to support the Christian Care Centre’s valuable programs,” Mr. Koraua said. “Through this act, we hope to continue fulfilling our objective of being a responsible corporate service provider in Solomon Islands.”

Sister Rosa Cathrine, the Coordinator of CCC, expressed her gratitude during the donation ceremony.

Representing the faith-based organization under the Anglican Church of Melanesia, Sister Rosa explained that the Christian Care Centre provides shelter and support to women and girls from all walks of life, including those who have faced domestic violence.

“I stand here today on behalf of the Christian Care Centre with a heart full of thanks for this unexpected gift,” Sister Rosa said.

“This donation will go a long way in supporting the many women and girls who seek refuge with us. We are deeply blessed by the generosity of PCYC.”

Sister Rosa also acknowledged the ongoing campaign for the 16 Days of Activism, which aims to raise awareness about violence against women.

She praised the PCYC for creating a safe space for families and for its role in ensuring peace and safety in the community.

“We are so thankful from the bottom of our hearts,” Sister Rosa added. “This gift is a blessing that will help us continue our work. We hope that, together, we can bring peace and harmony to our families and communities, making Solomon Islands a better place for everyone.”

The Christian Care Centre, located in Tenaru, East Honiara provides a vital service for women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.

It is the only shelter of its kind in the country, offering a refuge for those in need.

On behalf of the staff, volunteers, and survivors, Sister Rosa concluded by expressing her heartfelt thanks to PCYC for the donation.

“Thank you so much for your kind and generous support,” she said.

“It is through such acts of kindness that we can continue to offer safety and hope to those who need it most.” She said.

PAC condemns Viulu’s absence

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed disapproval over the absence of Dr. Samson Viulu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), during its inquiry into the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 on Friday, November 29.

In response, Opposition Leader Mathew Wale rescheduled the MAL session to Wednesday, December 4, stressing the importance of Dr. Viulu’s attendance.

“I propose we reschedule the meeting with MAL to Wednesday. Please ensure the PS is informed—we need to meet him in person. It’s urgent. Let him know that PAC expects his presence,” Wale stated.

PAC Chair Gordon Darcy Lilo underscored the urgency of the hearings, emphasizing that all officers should prioritize the process as the 2025 budget deliberations are critical for the nation’s economic performance.

“This ministry plays a pivotal role, particularly in light of recommendations from multilateral development banks and CBSI, which are focused on MAL’s output. We need Dr. Viulu here to leverage his expertise and strategic leadership,” Lilo added.

MAL officials later confirmed that Dr. Viulu joined a PAC session via Zoom on Wednesday, December 5.

“Yes, the PS attended a Zoom meeting with the PAC yesterday. He was unavailable on Friday due to an overseas commitment,” said an MAL spokesperson.

Dr. Viulu is currently part of the Solomon Islands delegation attending the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD-COP16), which began on December 2 in Saudi Arabia.

CIP aims to complete new youth center next year

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

THE Central Islands Province (CIP) government is moving forward with plans to establish a new youth center on Tulagi, with the aims of completing the project by next year.

This was announced by CIP Premier Michael Salini during a recent meeting with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of People Living with Disabilities Solomon Islands (PWDSI).

Premier Salini expressed optimism about the project, stating, “We are hopeful this will be achieved by next year as we have been busy with the project recently”

He clarified that while funding for the youth center has already been secured, his office is still in the process of finalizing the land acquisition.

Once completed, the youth center will provide a dedicated space for various youth activities aimed at promoting the well-being and development of young people in the province.

Salini also emphasized that the facility will be open to local associations, including PWDSI, who will be welcome to use it for their awareness programs and other community-focused initiatives.

In addition, the premier reiterated his government’s commitment to collaborating with PWDSI and its affiliated organizations to advance efforts in youth development, women’s empowerment, and the support of people living with disabilities.

Tulagi Residents Unite with Global Community to Mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

RESIDENTS of Tulagi and surrounding communities have come together with the global community to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held on Tuesday.

The day aimed to raise awareness about disability issues and advocate for dignity, equal rights, and well-being for all individuals living with disabilities.

The theme for this year’s observance, “Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future,” was underscored by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of People with Disabilities Solomon Islands (PWDSI)Casper Fa’asala,.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration: “It means you work with us, people with disabilities, so that all of us can contribute to the social, economic, and cultural development for everyone,” he remarked.

Fa’asala highlighted the need for renewed efforts across various sectors—environmental, governmental, institutional, religious, and civil society—to ensure the creation of a truly inclusive society that values the contributions of people with disabilities.

He also made a powerful statement about the capabilities of individuals with disabilities, saying, “People living with disabilities are not cheap. Some are highly accomplished professionals. We already have people with disabilities who are lawyers, administrators, and carpenters. We are not cheap people.”

This event marked the first ever organized observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Tulagi and surrounding communities. It was attended by Central Islands Province (CIP) Premier, Michael Salini, who expressed his government’s honor in co-hosting the occasion.

“We are honored to host this important event in our country,” Salini said.

He also acknowledged the efforts of PWDSI and its partners, offering his government’s ongoing support:

 “Let me pledge the support of my government and the people of Central Province to the important work you are doing here. The relevant provincial divisions will be ready to collaborate and support your initiatives,” he added.

2025 budget aims to advance our status

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By Loretta B Manele

On the broad global canvas, the 2025 budget aims to advance our status as an independent nation-state and fortifies our engagement with the region and the world.

Minister for Finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare stressed the sentiment in parliament on Wed, 4th when he presented the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024.

He said the machine of government oiled by the 2025 national budget will touch the lives of all citizens they as leaders serve in so many ways.

Sogavare expressed that the 2025 budget will touch people’s lives at the clinic or at the hospital or at a school, whether it is by the positive conduct of a nurse, a police officer or a public officer, whether it is the birth certificate or a passport, whether it is the salary or pension and whether it is a new street, drain or highway.

He voiced that the country has been sorely tested by a series of shocks over the last five years and never has our nation suffered like this.

Sogavare pointed out that some of these shocks are self-inflicted ones.

“We hope we have learnt a lesson and will not repeat the same self-inflicted mistakes again. The journey to economic recovery and transformation that we have embarked on requires us to unlock the potential of our country and build resilience through inclusiveness and partnership. This, calls for hard work, perseverance and discipline to achieve our shared vision”

Sogavare added that the country has made strides in restructuring our external debt and in restoring fiscal discipline.

“We have increased the allocation to infrastructure development and we have provided incentives for the private sector”

He went on to stress that despite the onslaught of COVID-19, self-inflicted pains of the riots and global trickle effects of the Russian-Ukraine war, the government remained firm and had continued to do the right thing by focusing on rebuilding the economy, taking painful but corrective and fiscal measures to ensure vital services continue during the years.

Sogavare told parliament that the budget he presented is a clear demonstration of GNUT’s commitment to unlocking the economy, uplifting the livelihoods of people and providing a conducive environment for private sector participation.

He highlighted that the journey to a better Solomon Islands is a collective one.

“It requires the active participation of all citizens. Together, we can overcome the challenges we face today”

He stated that together we shall benefit from our wealth and prosperity and together, we will march towards our common vision of becoming a prosperous middle-income nation by 2035.

Gov’t outlines revenue measures

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By Loretta B Manele

The Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) is eyeing revenue measures it plans to undertake to finance the development budget.

Manasseh Sogavare, the Minister for Finance and Treasury stated this during his delivery of the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 in parliament yesterday.

He said on the 2025 additional revenue measures, the government plans to take on policy actions as part of its efforts to finance the development budget.

Sogavare stressed that there is a great need to strengthen and improve the collection of non-tax revenue because it can help boost additional Solomon Islands Government (SIG) revenue will further increase revenue of around $20 to $30 million in 2025.

“In my pursuit, as follows, we reintroduce the export duty on bauxite. That will give us $5.4 million.

The alcohol exercise increase will give us $3 million. We’ll reintroduce export rate of 5% on gold exports and that will give us $1.5 million.

We raise the export duty rate on nickel exports. That will give us $5.5 million.

We propose to increase license fees on vehicles, that’s $2 million. Vehicle pollution tax, that will give us $1.8 million.

Implement a number of new revenue policy measures from mining and tobacco, that will give us $5 million.

Strengthening and monitoring of logging operations and the revenue collection conduct by various key enforcement agencies will give us an additional $5 million”

Sogavare pointed out that the government will introduce the above revenue measures going forward in order to maintain a stable and manageable budget in the medium to long term.

He voiced that the budget is committed to regain fiscal stability and discipline to rebuild fiscal buffers that have been depleted over the recent years due to the global pandemic and domestic shocks that impacted Solomon Islands government financial position.

Sogavare emphasized that government agents such as IRD, the Customs and non-tax revenue tax collection from other ministries, sir, are urged to strengthen and improve their measures to control and further avoid leakages at every point.

CBSI commits to championing innovative solutions

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI), Dr. Luke Forau, said the bank is committed to championing innovative solutions, such as parametric insurance, that drive economic stability and help overcome the challenges posed by climate change.

He made this statement at the high-level workshop on Parametric Insurance for Climate Resilience in the Solomon Islands, held Monday this week at the Heritage Park Hotel.

The workshop, hosted and organized by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), UNDP, and CBSI, provided key stakeholders with technical insights into parametric insurance, showcasing its potential to strengthen financial resilience when climate disasters occur.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Forau highlighted that the Solomon Islands is ranked fifth in the world for disaster risk, with an average loss of around 2.5 million U.S. dollars annually.

“This gathering marks the first step in our journey toward a financially resilient, prepared, and secure society. It demonstrates our commitment to building resilience in the Solomon Islands against natural disasters, which are a significant threat to our communities and economy,” said Dr. Forau.

He also extended his gratitude to the organizers and partners.

“Thank you very much to UNCDF, UNDP, and our donor partners—the Australian government, the New Zealand government, and the UK government—for your continued support,” he said.

Dr. Forau emphasized that insurance is an essential tool for safeguarding and strengthening economies while protecting communities from the devastating effects of climate change-related disasters.

“With CBSI playing a supervisory role in the insurance sector, we are building a stronger future for all. The Solomon Islands is one of the most disaster-prone nations on the planet,” he said.

He explained that parametric insurance offers an innovative way of providing financial support quickly.

“Unlike traditional insurance, this is not to discount the critical role that the insurance industry plays in our country, but parametric insurance offers fast and efficient payouts based on predefined weather triggers,” he said.

He added that this mechanism is a game-changer, with quick funds allowing communities to recover rapidly and avoid prolonged financial hardships and instability.

“This highlights the urgency of addressing the gap in disaster risk financing with parametric insurance in our country,” Dr. Forau said.

He pointed out that women, individuals with disabilities, and informal workers are often the most affected by climate shocks. Many lack access to finance and are left vulnerable to frequent cyclones or cycles of poverty exacerbated by natural disasters.

“Parametric insurance can fill this gap by providing immediate financial relief that farmers, market vendors, fishers, and other vulnerable groups can use to rebuild and return to normalcy more quickly. As the regulator of the insurance sector, CBSI has a crucial role in facilitating the transition of parametric insurance from concept to full market deployment,” he said.

“Our priorities align closely with our Third National Financial Inclusion Strategy, which aims to build resilience at the household and community levels by introducing accessible financial instruments,” he added.

Dr. Forau explained that climate response initiatives like parametric insurance meet these criteria and support sustainable economic growth, in line with the country’s objective to promote green financial services.

“Currently, only around 26% of adults in the Solomon Islands have access to formal financial services, such as bank accounts. Parametric insurance presents an opportunity to extend coverage to low-income households and the informal sector.

“Not only does it improve financial inclusion, but it also strengthens the financial security of our people and, consequently, our country,” he said.

Dr. Forau emphasized that CBSI will work with all partners in this initiative to ensure robust regulatory oversight for human protection and empowerment, as well as a transparent ecosystem for parametric insurance.

“Parametric insurance holds the potential to accelerate disaster recovery, reduce financial stress for households and businesses, boost confidence in our financial systems, and increase insurance adoption. I urge all stakeholders in this room to take ownership of this initiative,” Dr. Forau concluded.

Economic recovery process remains positive

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Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

By Loretta B. Manele

The latest domestic economic update suggests that the recovery process is gaining momentum and remains positive, according to recent data.

Manasseh Sogavare, Minister for Finance and Treasury (MoFT), made this statement while presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 in parliament yesterday.

He highlighted that the continued positive trajectory is evident in the strong GDP growth of 3.1% projected for 2024, compared to earlier estimates of 2.8%.

Sogavare noted that the growth outcome for 2024 surpasses the post-COVID-19 average growth rate, reflecting a robust economic rebound.

Key drivers of this growth include strong performances in agriculture, mining, fishing, construction, wholesale and trade, other businesses, and the service sector, along with improvements in manufacturing and an upward trend in tourism and employment.

Looking ahead, Sogavare shared that the Solomon Islands’ economic recovery is expected to remain stable, with GDP growth projected at 3.8% in 2025, 4.3% in 2026, and 4% in 2027. These figures exceed the historical average GDP growth rate of 2.5% recorded during the pre-COVID-19 period.

He also noted that the latest projections represent an increase of 0.5% for 2025 and 0.4% for 2026 compared to estimates from the October 2023 budget.

However, Sogavare cautioned that these projections remain subject to uncertainties, citing ongoing geopolitical conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, as well as fluctuating commodity prices.

“The recovery process from shocks is ongoing and unpredictable, with elevated uncertainty in both the global and domestic economic environments,” Sogavare said.

20-yo male accused of indecent act faces court for plea

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

A 20-year-old male charged with one count of indecent act will face court Monday next week to take his plea.

The defendant was first charged with attempted rape however prosecution substituted it with the new charge of indecent act.

Court moved the matter to December 16 for the defendant to take his plea on the substituted charged.

The complainant in this matter is a juvenile, a 11-year-old girl.

It was alleged on August 20, 2024 the victim, her brother, her aunt and uncle and their children including the defendant where at the victim uncle house having dinner.

After the dinner, they watched a movie on the defendant’s phone.

While watching the movie, the victim fell asleep while the others continued watching the movie.

It was alleged the complainant’s brother came and woke her up and told her to go upstairs in their dwelling.

She left and instead of going upstairs, she went and laid on their hammock under the house.

It was alleged not long after the victim fell asleep on the hammock, the defendant came and laid beside her.

The defendant held her tight and did sexual activity to her.

When the victim tried to wake up the defendant gave a bite on her left side of her neck.

The uncle and aunty later reported the matter to police and the accused was arrested.

Irene Mae of Office of Director of Public Prosecution act for the crown and PSO for the accused.

Government announces Coral Reef Rescue project

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BY IRWIN ANGIKI

Government has announced its Coral Reef Rescue programme currently being rolled out in some parts of the country.

This programme is being led by the ministries of fisheries and marine resources (MFMR) and environment and climate change (MECDM).

It is being run in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and their stakeholders.

The Coral Reef Rescue (CRR) is funded by the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) Coral Reef Rescue (CRR): Resilient Coral Reefs, Resilient Communities Project, which aims at bolstering resilience of coral reef ecosystems, ensuring their long-term survival and supporting the blue economies of Solomon Islands.

The project is implemented by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-US), with the University of Queensland (UQ) as the Lead Executing Agency and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as the National Technical Facilitator in Solomon Islands, a media statement by MECDM yesterday explained.

The project is a vital component of the Global Coral Reef Rescue Initiative (CRRI), a global multi-stakeholder partnership dedicated to protecting coral reefs endangered by climate change.

It focuses on capacity building to find nature-based solutions to conserve coral reef biodiversity and support the communities who rely on these ecosystems.

One of the key elements of the project is conducting workshops (tokstori) that aim to enhance community representation in national coral reef conservation strategies.

These workshops will integrate traditional knowledge and community visions while ensuring gender equality, the MECDM statement said.

So far three workshops covering three provinces have been conducted. The most recent ones were held in Oibola village in the Langalanga Lagoon, Malaita Province and Khumagha village in Isabel Province.

In both places village elders spoke highly of the initiative and thanked the government, WCS and all stakeholders involved for taking the initiative to protect the country’s fragile coral reef and marine ecosystems.

Chairman of Khumagha Marine Conservation Paul Katoragi told MECDM that since going into conservation his community has already seen a lot of changes to their marine resources.

He said the tokstori has given them insight to take their conservation efforts to the next level with the aim to declare it under the Protected Areas Act administered by MECDM

Through participatory visioning exercises, the workshop aims to empower communities, allowing women, men, and youth to share their perspectives on resilient coral reef conservation and the integration of traditional knowledge, the MECDM statement said.

This announcement by government is timely since the world’s largest standalone coral was found on the Three Sisters island group in Makira-Ulawa province last month.

The finding was made by the National Geographic Pristine project, which studied few areas in the eastern Solomons when its scientists chanced upon the finding.

Solomon Islands is known for its diverse coral reefs including fringing, barrier, patch and atoll reefs that make up the country’s marine biodiversity and is a cornerstone of its economy through fisheries and tourism.

However, these vibrant reefs face severe threats from climate change, overfishing and pollution.

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