[Published on Friday, August 15, 2025]
BY BEN BILUA
GIZO
Questions are mounting over the use of public funds for a road development project in Isabel Province, after reports emerged that millions of dollars were paid out with little progress on the ground.
According to a report sighted by Island Sun, more than $2 million was allocated for the first phase of the Buala–Hofi road.
The funds were reportedly paid in full to a contractor; however, the scale and quality of the work completed so far has been described as “falling far short” of expectations.
A source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, said the incomplete work is a “slap in the face” to the people of Isabel and to taxpayers nationwide.
“The money was meant to deliver a road to open access between communities, but what we have now is nowhere near the value of what was paid,” the source said.
The Ministry of Infrastructure Development is said to be aware of the situation, but details on any investigation or remedial measures remain unclear.
Isabel province, despite being the longest island in the Solomon Islands, has the shortest road network in the country.
Decades of infrastructure neglect have left many communities isolated, with road development lagging significantly behind compared to other provinces.
The latest controversy threatens to undermine public trust in long-awaited infrastructure projects and raises fresh calls for greater transparency and accountability in government-funded developments.
For now, residents of Isabel continue to wait and wonder if the Buala–Hofi road will ever truly connect them.
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