BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele has announced that the government will commit SBD$ 50-100 million in the development budget starting from 2026.
PM Manele made the announcement upon his return from the World Leaders Summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from February 11-13 this year.
He stated that his attendance at the World Government Summit allowed the Solomon Islands to access new opportunities to engage with development initiatives.
Manele emphasized that the most significant benefits to the country came from the outcomes of his bilateral meetings with world leaders at the summit.
“I’m confident we can finally unlock millions of dollars in financing through consistent funding that we have been seeking from our development partners for two of our most important infrastructure projects in Malaita: Bina Harbour and Dala Atori Road,” he said.
He noted that both projects are worth approximately US$310 million, or about SBD$2.6 billion.
“As a government, we must also invest in the projects we seek funding for, to demonstrate to our partners that not only are they our priorities, but that we, as a government, are prepared to contribute to their success. We will then seek funding to bridge the financing gap from our donors,” said Manele.
“In this regard, I intend for the government to begin setting aside a budget subvention of between US$50 million and US$100 million each year, starting in 2026, to support our contributions to projects like Bina Harbour, Dala Atori Road, and other priority projects in sectors such as health, agriculture, and education,” he added.
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