BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC) officially launched the Solomon Islands National Infrastructure Investment Plan (SINIP) 2026 yesterday.
The SINIP is a pipeline that provides profiles of national infrastructure projects proposed for the country. The current SINIP plan outlines priority national infrastructure projects for 2026.
Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele explained that SINIP is a national and sector-based strategic planning framework used by MNPDC, in collaboration with line ministries and state-owned enterprises (SOE), to guide infrastructure development and coordinate planning discussions with development partners.
He said that since the first document was released in 2013, the government has continued to improve the quality of its long-term planning process.
Mr Manele said the SINIP 2023 edition was the first document approved by the government and officially launched in February 2024.
He added that by the end of November 2025—32 months after the launch of SINIP 2023—significant progress had been achieved.
Manele said that in the productive sector, SINIP has guided major investments in projects such as the Tina Hydropower Project, the Malaita solar grid expansion, and the National Broadband Tower Programme, with about 80 towers already installed.
He said these projects strengthen energy security, reduce reliance on diesel, and extend digital services to communities and businesses nationwide.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister said social infrastructure has also progressed, with 32 major health projects valued at SBD $3.7 billion, along with 10 education projects focused on secondary schools and senior facilities. These projects aim to improve access, quality, and resilience of essential services.
He added that there has also been strong funding mobilisation, with 76 percent of aviation projects and 79 percent of energy projects funded, demonstrating growing partner confidence and alignment with national priorities presented through a clear, evidence-based pipeline.
Manele explained that SINIP consolidates all sectoral infrastructure projects into a single national investment plan.
He said the plan enables the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) to hold targeted discussions with development partners and prioritise projects that deliver the greatest economic and social benefits for the country.
Manele said that over the past six months, MNPDC has worked with line ministries, provincial governments, NGOs, and SOEs to consolidate more than SBD $19 billion worth of unplanned infrastructure projects into a single database for screening and evaluation.
“The work was spearheaded by the SINIP sub-committees. With support from the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility, the sub-committees prioritised the pipeline of unplanned infrastructure projects for 2026,” he said.
Prime Minister Manele commended the sub-committees for their work, which led to the successful completion of the SINIP Dossier of National Infrastructure Projects for 2026.
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