BY ALICE CAMPBELL

Ministry of Infrastructure Development’s (MID) Transport Infrastructure Management Services Division (TIMSD) has finalised an action plan to carry out urgent repairs and restoration works starting this week.

This is in response to the severe damage done to Honiara’s key road networks by last week’s bad weather, MID statement yesterday said.

The following road networks have been identified for immediate intervention to ensure ease of movement across the city and road safety.

Road Restoration and Sealing

· Mbokonavera Road: A variation is being expedited to allow a contractor to road sections where previous quantities have been exhausted. This is treated as a high-priority zone.

· Hibiscus Avenue: (the backroad from Townground to Pt. Cruz Hotbread roundabout) urgent relief work will commence this week whilst work to finalize a contract for permanent asphalting is underway.

· Vura Road: Relief work is underway from Vura 1 to Vura 3. It will transition into a permanent sealing project under the 2026 National Transport Fund (NTF) work plan. The Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement Project (CAUSE II) will carry out the full rehabilitation from the Kukum SDA bus stop to the Naha Police Station intersection.  

· Kobito Bridge Repairs—urgent repair works to be carried out, while a full reinstatement project will be carried out under the CAUSE II Project.

Highway Maintenance and Major Arterial

· Honiara Highway Lot 1: A dual strategy is in place. Immediate relief for now while new a contract will provide a permanent fix.

· MID/HCC Pedestrian Crossing: Excavation and concreting has resumed on the section towards the pedestrian crossing and remains ongoing.

· Lekaboli Road (Chiefs Haus-ITA Hardware backroad): Contractor to resume excavation for a common utility trench, which will be immediately followed by road surface works.

· Honiara Highway Lot 2 (Vura to White River): Relief works will continue from Commonwealth Street to the Honiara City Council (HCC) roundabout until this section is fully covered under the Land and Maritime Connectivity Project (LMCP).

Emergency Reconnection and Relief Works

· Tanaeba Bridge (Kohi) reinstatement: This has been classified as critically urgent. A contractor should be mobilized on-site to commence reinstatement works to reconnect the bridge and other multi-cell culverts for Northwest Guadalcanal Road.

· White River to Savo Market repairs: Work is underway to carry out relief works on this high-traffic short strip. Priority will be to address the drainage first, as one challenge is dealing with private properties that blocked the easements.

· Tanakake to Panatina: TIMSD is following up with a contractor to address the deteriorating conditions currently affecting road users for this sealed road stretch.

“All works are urgent interventions.

“We have directed all job managers to fast-track documentation for procurement. While we are pushing for immediate action, we ask for the public’s patience as contractors mobilize to sites now that weather warnings (rain and wind) are cancelled.

“Again, budget remains a challenge; nevertheless, we remain committed to maintaining Honiara’s key road networks for ease of movement, connectivity, flow of business and road safety,” the statement said.

All other road improvement projects funded under the government’s development budget for this year (both Honiara and provinces) will be announced shortly.

Photo: MID

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Decentralising constituency administration ensures development remains transparent, responsive, and aligned with the needs of rural communities.

Member of Parliament for Gizo-Kolombangara, JimsonTanangada said this during the official opening Gizo-Kolombangara Constituency (GKC) offices on December 22 – 28 in Ringgi on Kolombangara Island.

Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) issued a statement on January 31 which said that this milestone marks a significant step towards strengthening administration; governance, expanding access to essential services for rural people, improving service delivery and ensuring sustainable development within the constituency.

Tanangada affirmed that decentralising constituency administration ensures development remains transparent, responsive, and aligned with the needs of rural communities.

“These facilities aim to ensure more efficient and effective engagement with constituents and better support for community development initiatives,” he said.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, John Misite’e, acknowledges the effort by MP Tanandaga and his constituency for the milestone achievement, and for taking the lead in establishing offices in the constituency.

He said that such strategic initiative signals a strong commitment by GKC to strengthen administration, governance; bringing services closer to the people.

He further highlighted that the offices will be manned by constituency officers and will serve multiple purposes, including:

• Organizing and managing constituency development programs
• Coordinating community projects and support services
• Providing consultation spaces for community leaders, farmers, fishermen, women, youth groups, and private sector representatives
• Facilitating access to development information, funding opportunities, and government programs
• Supporting capacity building, training, and skills development
• Acting as a hub for support in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and business sectors.

The MRD statement said the establishment of the Constituency Development Offices is a mandatory requirement under Section 9 of the CDF Act 2023.

The opening ceremony was attended by Western Provincial Government representatives, community members, constituents and stakeholders who expressed their support and optimism for the positive impact these offices will have on the constituency.

Photo: Supplied

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

BY LORETTA B MANELE

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele representing Solomon Islands as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) attended the PIF Troika meeting in Brisbane late last month.

Speaking to local media during his first press conference for 2026 yesterday, he said the Troika meeting brought together the current, incoming, and outgoing Forum Chairs and provided an opportunity for leaders to take stock of regional matters following the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting held in Honiara last year.

Manele said discussions were focused on the Review of the Regional Architecture (RRA) and the PIF leaders’ communique.

The RRA is an ongoing process that was initiated by PIF leaders back in 2019 to restructure regional institutions, particularly Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies so as to deliver on 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Manele said as PIF Chair, Solomon Islands emphasised on the importance of unity, dialogue, and consensus within the Forum, particularly at a time when the region continues to face shared challenges, including climate impacts, economic pressures, and evolving geopolitical dynamics.

“This engagement reflects Solomon Islands’ ongoing responsibility as Forum Chair and our role in contributing to collective Pacific leadership, while remaining mindful of our national priorities and circumstances,” he said.

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

By RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

A call has been made for the urgent repair of the Fiu and Kelakwai Veda Road in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province which was washed away by floods last week.

The road was first dug into half on Wednesday (Jan 28) and was later cut off as bad weather continued. 

Community leader, Jason Siru said the road has split by 10 metres, making it nearly impossible for anyone to cross on foot.

He said due to the cut-off, farmers, vehicle owners and the entire population of Fiu and Kelakwai communities have had to pay a sum of $100 per day to use the Kunu access road. 

He added that students and staff of Gwaigeo Rural Training Centre and the secondary school are among those most affected.

“At first, since Wednesday last week, the road was dug up by the flash flood from the Fiu River halfway. The flood continued on Thursday and Friday, completely cutting off the road.

“The road splintered about 10 metres apart, which nobody can possibly cross.

“So, the most affected people are the students and staff of Gwaigeo Rural Training Centre and secondary school,” he said.

Meanwhile, Siru appeals to the responsible authorities to quickly step in to fix the road as it has caused a lot of inconvenience for their daily routines. 

He said they have been feeling the effects of the damaged road in having to pay fees, which should be taken into consideration by the authorities. 

“We are suffering now because every day we have to pay $100 before using the disputed access road at Kunu.

“So, we are calling on the authorities to quickly fix the road as it is the main route that our market vendors use to transport their produce,” he said.

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

By RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

Goshen Enterprise, the only taro dealer and exporter in the country, aims to send one shipment of its taro products to Australia this year.

This will be a major step forward for the business, as it recovered after covid-19.

In an interview with Island Sun yesterday, Managing Director of Goshen Enterprise, Levite Luciano Maesimae said he is planning to improve productivity and do at least one shipment this year.

To kick-start the process, he encourages taro farmers to supply more taros to his packhouse in Adaliua, near Auki, Malaita Province.

He said an increased supply can improve its domestic distribution, like the Bulk-shop in Honiara.

“I want to encourage my taro farmers to supply more taros to our taro packhouse at Adaliua, so that we can focus on domestic distributions.

“We must try our best to do any shipment this year and achieve our goal,” he said.

Maesimae said they can taro from Ata’a in the Baegu Asifola constituency, from Wairaha in the West Are’are, and also in East Are’are.

He said most of his farmers are from the highlands and so they have to carry their supply of  taro on their shoulders to reach road access.

Hence, he said one challenge his farmers face is transporting the crop to the packhouse.

To address such challenges, he suggests improvement in logistics and creating more incentives to support the farmers.

Photo: Supplied

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

BY LORETTA B MANELE

Following the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Act and with the budget in place, the emphasis for this year is on implementation.

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele gave a brief take on this whilst speaking to the media yesterday.

“At the national level, the Government enters 2026 following the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Act.

“With the budget now in place, the emphasis for this year is on implementation, within the realities of available resources, institutional capacity, and external conditions,” he said.

Manele said last week, the Policy Implementation Monitoring Evaluation Unit at OPMC held a week-long policy review workshop with Permanent Secretaries and senior officials of all line ministries.

The Prime Minister said this is to improve government policy implementation through programmes and projects in the most efficient and cost-effective ways and through improved coordination.

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

Damaged bridges, roads in Honiara and provinces in bad states following bad weather, Opposition Leader Wale calls on Government to urgently address these problems

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale calls on the Government to urgently address the deteriorating roads and transport infrastructure in the country.

Reports of damages to critical infrastructures in Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces as a result of the ongoing bad weather is putting lives at risk.

Wale received reports of damage to Tabalia bridge which is a lifeline for people of Northwest, West, & South Guadalcanal which needs urgent attention that must not wait for the rain to stop.

“We do not want to force communities that rely on that bridge to travel by sea in the current weather conditions. There may be other similar damage to critical infrastructure which needs to be given urgent attention,” Wale said in a statement.

He said the bridges are lifelines for our people and the Government must act now to prevent further damage and protect communities.

The Opposition Leader said the bad weather has caused serious concern for communities relying on key bridges with reports of damage, flooding, and restricted access.

According to Wale, these conditions have disrupted transport, isolated rural communities, and delayed access to health services, schools, and markets.

“Every time we experience bad weather, bridges and infrastructures are damaged or become unsafe. Our people should not be cut off from essential services because of poor planning and delayed action,” he said.

In and around Honiara the bad weather has again resulted in damages to roads in the city as well as feeder roads.

Wale said whilst he acknowledged the ongoing road upgrade around Honiara there should be no excuse for immediate maintenance.

He said the situation highlights years of neglect and failure to prioritise maintenance of vital infrastructure.

He also stressed the need for transparency and accountability in infrastructure spending to ensure projects are built to proper standards and withstand extreme weather.

“It is becoming frustrating that roads in some parts of the city and feeder roads are intended to be maintained every week. There seem to be no accountability and proper standards by companies when it comes to maintaining roads that can withstand bad weather,” he said.

The Opposition is calling on the Government to immediately conduct urgent safety assessments of all affected bridges especially in Malaita and Guadalcanal, carry out emergency repairs and provide temporary crossings where necessary and commit funding for long-term, climate-resilient bridge construction.

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]

[Published on Saturday, Jan 31]

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Four Solomon Islands media professionals have been awarded the prestigious Manaaki New Zealand Vocational Short-Term Training Scholarship.

This will provide them with an opportunity to further their professional skills through overseas study.

The Media Association of the Solomon Islands (MASI) on Saturday, Jan 31, announced that Elton Lonaratha Jnr and Morris Nafu of Island Sun Newspaper, along with Lachlan Eddie of SIBC News, will undertake Diploma programmes in Journalism at the Waikato Institute of Technology in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Bradford Noda of Tavuli News Solomon Islands will pursue a Diploma in Animation at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

According to MASI, the four scholarship recipients are expected to depart in the coming weeks to commence their 10-month training programmes.

MASI said the scholarships were made possible through its ongoing partnership with the New Zealand Government under the Manaaki New Zealand programme, which supports capacity building and skills development in key sectors.

MASI expressed its sincere appreciation to the New Zealand Government, particularly the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara, for its continued support of the Solomon Islands media industry.

“Your investment is helping us to build a more skilled, professional, and vibrant media sector for the Solomon Islands,” MASI said in a statement.

Photo: Supplied

For feedback, contact: [email protected]

Editor: [email protected]