BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Premier of Makira Ulawa province, Stanley Siapu, says agriculture remains the top priority of his government as it continues to work with the national government, donor partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen the sector in the province.

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting agriculture, noting that it remains central to rural livelihoods and development across Makira Ulawa.

Speaking at a recent full assembly meeting in Kirakira, Premier Siapu highlighted ongoing efforts in partnership with the national government to drive agricultural transformation in the province.

“The provincial government continues to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to support rural agricultural transformation initiatives aimed at strengthening food production and improving income opportunities for our farmers,” he said.

He added that the provincial government is also pursuing a sister-province relationship with East Sepik Province to benefit from its technical expertise, particularly in the vanilla industry.

“We are exploring this potential partnership to further strengthen our cocoa industry and to bring East Sepik’s technical knowledge of its internationally thriving vanilla industry to the province,” Siapu said.

Meanwhile, he highlighted the construction of a new provincial agriculture complex in Kirakira, funded by the World Bank under the Solomon Islands Agriculture and Rural Transformation Project.

“The new agriculture complex is currently under construction, and we expect it to be handed over to the province later this year,” he said.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and we recognise the important role and benefits it brings to our people. We will continue to support agricultural development in the province.”

He also pointed to the Kirakira cocoa processing plant as another milestone investment that will support the growth of the agriculture sector.

The project, funded by the national government, has completed phase one, which involved construction of the facility, and is now awaiting the installation of machinery.

Once operational, the plant is expected to become the Solomon Islands’ first cocoa processing factory.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Premier of Makira Ulawa province, Stanley Siapu, says the provincial government continues to manage funding in a responsible manner.

He made the statement following positive feedback from funding partners on the progress of projects supported under PCDF, IECDR, and LoCAL funding arrangements.

“Funding arrangements under the PCDF, IECDR, and LoCAL initiatives, supported by the World Bank and other development partners, continue to be managed in a transparent and responsible manner.

“The recent high-level team from the World Bank that visited Kirakira last week expressed positive sentiments about how we are implementing these funds,” he said.

The delegation visited project sites where their funds have been invested and engaged with provincial staff and local communities to better understand the province’s development needs and priorities.

Despite the positive feedback, the Makira Ulawa provincial government (MUPG) acknowledges that there are still areas within the implementation process that require fine-tuning, and remains committed to improving them.

Premier Siapu said the province continues to engage in dialogue with development partners and diplomatic missions, presenting its development plans and identifying areas that require further assistance.

This includes proposals for certain provincial projects to be considered as national projects by the central government.

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BY ALICE T CAMPBELL

Two officers from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Media Unit are attending the SocialMedia Capability Development Forum in Suva, Fiji, from 30 March to 1 April 2026.

A statement from RSIPF yesterday said this forum is an initiative of the Pacific Community for Law Enforcement Cooperation (PCLEC) in partnership with the Fiji Police Force (FPF).

The forum is said to bring together media and communications officers from across the Pacific to strengthen digital engagement and strategic communication in policing.

Hence, representing Solomon Islands are RSIPF Officer in Charge of the Media Unit, Desmond Rave, and Theresa Satu.

RSIPF said these two officers play key roles in delivering strategic communications for the organisation.

“The training will be facilitated by Fiji Police Force (FPF) and will include practical sessions focused on developing community awareness campaign materials addressing Transnational Serious Organized Crime (TSOC).

“Fijian Media Association and Pacific Islands News Association will also form part of the capability training as facilitators,” the statement said.

The forum will provide a valuable platform to build a regional network of media officers, supporting a collaborative “by the Pacific, for the Pacific” approach to policing communications.

“This engagement reflects the RSIPF’s continued commitment to strengthening its media and communications capability and enhancing public engagement through effective use of social media platforms,” the statement said.

Photo credit: RSIPF

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Commander, Superintendent Nevol Soko represented Solomon Islands at the Royal Australian Navy’s International Fleet Review (125th years anniversary) and the Exercise Kakadu 2026 Commanders’ Conference from 21–23 March 2026 in Sydney, Australia.

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Maritime Division in a statement yesterday confirmed this, saying the engagements brought together maritime leaders from across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen cooperation, enhance maritime security, and promote the protection of critical shipping lanes, trade routes, and regional economic stability.

At the Commanders’ Conference, Superintendent Soko participated as a panel speaker, where he delivered a presentation focused on maritime crime and its growing impact on Pacific Island countries.

RSIPF said he highlighted key threats including Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, transnational organised crime, people smuggling, illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons and increasing misuse of small boats to exploit porous maritime borders.

Superintendent Soko said these crimes erode national sovereignty, reduce government revenue and threaten food security and sustainable fisheries, key pillars of the Pacific economy.

He also noted that criminal activities at sea can disrupt legitimate trade, shipping lanes and trade routes, increase risks to maritime safety, and place additional strain on limited enforcement resources.

Superintendent Soko voiced that for Solomon Islands and other Pacific nations, maritime crime is not only a security issue but also an economic threat as it weakens investor confidence, disrupts supply chains, and impacts the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on marine resources.

He called for stronger regional cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement operations to effectively address these challenges.

Superintendent Soko also reaffirmed the importance of partnerships with regional and international stakeholders in building capacity, strengthening surveillance, and enhancing response capabilities.

On the sidelines of the event, he held bilateral discussions with the Deputy Fleet Commander of the Australian Navy to further strengthen cooperation in operational support, training, and capability development.

“He also met with representatives of the Pacific Maritime Security Programme (PMSP) to identify enforcement gaps, improve maintenance support, and enhance the operational effectiveness of Guardian-class patrol boats,” the statement said.

Superintendent Soko referred to the engagement as one that was timely and productive, pointing out that it provides an avenue to ensure Pacific Islands’ operational perspectives on maritime crime are clearly understood and addressed at the international level.

RSIPF says its Maritime Forice remains committed to combating maritime crime, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring the safety, security, and sustainability of Solomon Islands’ maritime domain for the protection of its people, resources, and economy.

Photo credit: RSIPF

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Siapu-led People’s Alliance for Change, Reform and Advancement (PACRA) government of Makira-Ulawa province has announced a strong focus on improving land governance and transforming revenue generation in the province.

Speaking during a recent full provincial assembly meeting in Kirakira, Premier Stanley Siapu pointed out that land remains the province’s most strategic economic asset.

He said the government is placing strong emphasis on proper land governance, as well as responsible land management and administration.

The PACRA government’s key efforts include:

• Improving land records and documentation
• Monitoring leased provincial estate lands
• Encouraging development of idle land assets
• Promoting customary land acquisition for development purposes
• Finalising the subdivision of Okea Land in northwest Guadalcanal
• Completing the registration process for the S.S Mamaloni Huro Township

Premier Siapu said these measures will enable the province to gradually expand its internal revenue base while ensuring effective and sustainable land use.

To support these efforts, the government has adopted the Makira-Ulawa Provincial Land Utilisation Policy, which will guide the work of the Planning and Development Board and the Land Tender Committee.

He said the government has taken decisive steps to ensure provincial estate lands serve the public interest.

Premier Siapu said the executive has also retrieved several expired Fixed Term Estate (FTE) titles due to non-development and public interest considerations.

The retrieved lands include:

• Lower Marahu – 12 hectares
• Maroguraha – 17 hectares
• Waimamura – 81 hectares
• as well as other expired FTEs across the province

Siapu said reclaiming these lands will allow the government to re-plan and redevelop key areas for future economic and infrastructure development.

He also announced that a comprehensive survey and documentation exercise will soon be carried out to ensure accurate records of all provincial estate lands.

Meanwhile, the Premier highlighted significant progress in the development of the province-owned Okea Land in Guadalcanal province.

“Following the customary chupu ceremony in November 2025 and the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Guadalcanal Town and Country Planning Board has approved our request to subdivide Okea Land.

“All necessary documents are now with the Ministry of Lands in Honiara for processing,” he said.

Premier Siapu said similar progress is being made on the Huro Land Planning Scheme, which aims to ensure development follows proper planning, zoning and infrastructure standards.

He confirmed that all required registration fees have been paid, and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey is finalising the registration of plots ahead of an official handover.

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BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

VALAPATA Community in Vella La Vella, Western Province, has marked a significant milestone with the official opening of its new youth hub over the weekend.

The event brought together representatives from donor partner The Pacific Community, implementing partner Sirubai Voko Tribe Association, World Wildlife Fund, Western Provincial Government, Western Youth Association, as well as community chiefs, women, youths and children, all gathering to witness the achievement.

Speaking at the ceremony, Valapata youth representative, Jesse Lelokana acknowledged SPC for providing funding that enabled the community to construct the youth hub.

He also commended the Sirubai Voko Tribe Association for leading the groundwork from start to finish.

Lelokana said the journey was not easy, but through cooperation the community was able to overcome challenges.

“This building is for all of us. Churches, the provincial government and donor partners who are looking for a venue to host events are welcome to use this facility.

“I’m happy that our youths will now have a home to undergo workshops or life-skills training that will help them grow,” he said.

Member of Assembly for Ward 8, Kadiba Alu also acknowledged the Pacific People Advancing Change (PPAC) programme under SPC for providing the financial support towards the project.

He said he is so privileged to witness the opening of the Valapata Youth Hub, adding that the partnership between the Sirubai Voko Tribe Association and SPC demonstrates the importance of initiative when government support falls short.

Alu said such initiatives can drive positive development within communities.

“This building will provide a space for training, social interaction and will help strengthen unity among youths within Ward 8,” he said.

One of the founders of the Sirubai Voko Tribe Association, Henry Kaniki, said the association was pleased to support the development.

He said the idea for the youth hub began 14 months ago, with the association taking the lead in consultations and sourcing funding for the project.

Kaniki said the official opening of the youth hub marks a major achievement not only for Valapata Community but also for youths in surrounding communities, providing a new space for empowerment, learning and community engagement.

Photo credit: Ben Bilua

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