BY SYLVANA TEKUMAHA

The Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA) and National Scholarship Divisions (NSD) under the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHRD) indicated that the list of Scholarship Awardees will be released this week.

In an email with Island Sun yesterday [Jan 27], Permanent Secretary for MEHRD Dr Franco Rodie said the list of awardees is expected this week but will not disclose the actual date as of yet.
The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) is offering 1,445 scholarships aimed at building qualifications and skills in critical workforce shortage areas.
According to the SITESA Board, 88 percent of the scholarships will be delivered in-country, primarily through the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), while 12 percent will support overseas study in specialised fields such as health and maritime.
The Solomon Islands Government Scholarship for 2026 opened on July 14, 2025 and closed in September 14, 2025.
SITESA is responsible for the promotion, planning, capacity development and coordination of tertiary education and skills sector and ensuring our country has high quality and internationally respected tertiary system.

BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki

Leaders of the Bira Community, Malaita province, have refuted reports that sign posts at the newly opened bridge in Bira have been vandalised.
This follows a report from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) on Monday that sign posts at the bridges in Bira and Su’u, Malaita province, had been vandalised just days after the bridges were open for public use.
The bridges were opened on Friday last week.
Bira Community Elder Ishmael Bunimarau told Island Sun yesterday that the sign posts at the Bira bridge are ‘safe and well secured’.
“Here at Bira, we don’t see people damaging and removing those signages. Those signages are 100 percent safe as of today,” he said.
“We have community leaders that we have worked with to guide and protect these signages. The vandalism might have occurred at Su’u, but we don’t know,” he said.
He said the Bira community and its leaders know the significance and importance of the new bridge at Bira and are committed to taking ownership of the infrastructure and looking after it.
He said that such developments are what people want in the rural communities.
He also urged authorities to verify and assess properly such claims before announcing them in the media.
MID could not comment when sought yesterday.

Newly opened bridges on Su’u and Bira, Malaita province, vandalised within days. MID urge community leaders to lead

BY JUNELYN KELLY

Newly opened bridges in West Kwaio, Malaita province, have been vandalised just few days after being opened for public use, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) has reported.
Bridges on Su’u and Bira were declared complete by the Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project (SIRAP2) on Friday last week.
The Bira bridge completed on January 12, and the one in Su’u completed on Jan 17, SIRAP2 said.
Official handover was expected for a later date, awaiting completion of other bridges on Malaita under the SIRAP2 project in Kofele 1 and 2.
However, yesterday [Jan 26] MID announced that signposts for the Bira and Su’u bridges have been either removed, defaced or damaged.
MID condemned this, explaining that the signposts were important:
“Safety first. These signages are there to save lives by alerting drivers to what’s ahead.
“Massive investment. The government and development partners invested millions to upgrade these bridges for our benefit.
“Future impact. This kind of criminal behavior is a major setback. It sends a negative message and could jeopardize future infrastructure projects for Malaita Province,” MID said.
MID appealed to leaders in these two communities to talk to their people not to vandalise public amenities and facilities.
“Community leaders, please talk to your people about respecting these road assets. Report any vandalism or theft to Auki police.
“We must take pride in our infrastructure and protect these features.
“These bridges are part of the SIRAP2 project, a partnership between the World Bank and the government, and belong to the communities both West Kwaio and Are’are. Let’s keep them safe and intact for road users,” MID said.

BY ALICE CAMPBELL
The Policy Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PIMEU) in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPMC) is carrying out a policy alignment workshop with all permanent secretaries.
The workshop will run for one week, a statement by the Government Communications Unit (GCU) yesterday [Jan 26] said.
The theme of the workshop is ‘aligning the NDS 2016- 2035 with GNUT’s 100-day programme’, the GCU statement said.
The workshop will set the basis for the on-going consultation between PIMEU and government ministries in the implementation of government policies and programmes.
Giving the keynote, Acting Prime Minister Frederick Kologeto urged responsible officers to pay attention to the five recommendations of the Medium-Term Review Report (MTR) which was released last year.
Kologeto said, “These recommendations show vividly the constraints and challenges line ministries encountered in their performances that require beefing up.”
He highlighted that the report pointed out significant barriers that hampered progress in the areas of health and education, land reform, governance and compliances in the extractive industry to name a few, the GCU statement said.
“I hope this workshop would assist all participants to the need to focus our attention to drawing up proper policy matrix for Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) to achieve the desired results and outcomes and subsequently improve the livelihoods of our beloved country,” Kologeto said.

BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki

Community leaders and concerned individuals in West Kwaio, Malaita Province are saddened to hear about the vandalism of the Su’u and Bira bridges’ sign posts.
Sign posts on the bridges in Su’u and Bira were vandalised just days after they were opened for public use Friday last week, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) has reported.
The community leaders of West Kwaio say these actions were carried out by some individuals and do not reflect the communities of West Kwaio.
In an interview with Island Sun Auki yesterday, Phlince Mauniala, a community leader from Maoa, said this news victimises the whole of West Kwaio.
“We have fallen victim when people comment and put the blame on us, the West Kwaio people, while only two or three uncivilised individuals are doing this,” Mauniala said.
Mauniala said this ‘gives a bad reputation to the people of West Kwaio, who have struggled to develop their communities’.
He said they will be working together with community and church leaders at Su’u and Bira to bring those responsible before the law.
“We’ll look at it and make sure that those involved in damaging and removing these sign stands are arrested and charged,” he said.
MID posted on its facebook page yesterday the vandalism of sign posts on the two bridges.
“It was deeply disheartening to receive the report that the newly opened Su’u and Bira bridges in West Kwaio, Malaita Province have fallen victim to vandalism,” it said.
“We should have taken pride in our infrastructure and protected these features.”
The bridges are part of the Solomon Islands Road and Aviation Project II, a partnership between the World Bank and the national government.
Communities in both West Kwaio and West Are’are in Malaita should have ownership of them, MID said.

BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki
Catholic Archbishop Christopher Cardone OP is calling on all Christian leaders in the country to work together to spread the word of God.
He made this call during the ordination of the new Bishop of Auki Diocese on Saturday, January 24, at Fasitoro Catholic Cathedral, Auki.
He said that on every occasion when he visited and toured, he always recalled when he first came to the Solomon Islands as Bishop of Auki Diocese and was invited by Anglican Bishop Terry Brown to one of their occasions.
“I was very happy when I first came and became the first bishop for Auki Diocese, when my beloved brother, the late Terry Brown, on behalf of the Anglican Community, gave me the cross that I am still holding onto until this time,” he said.
“Every time I toured and visited different places, especially ordinations like this, our brothers and sisters from the Anglican community are with us. They celebrate and participate with us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cardone said he hopes that they continue with the spirit that exists in the Solomon Islands among all the different Christian communities.
He added that through this journey, the Catholic Church will lead the way to preach the good news of the Gospel.

BY MORRIS NAFU

The premier of Western province Billy Veo has pledged his government’s support for the Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project.

Mr Veo uttered this during a courtesy call made to him by the AIM-N project team on Friday last week.

AIM-N project is visiting the governments of Western, Choiseul and Isabel provinces reinforcing provincial partnership ahead of the project’s implementation, a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) yesterday said.

AIM-N Project Manager Samantha Maeke briefed the Premier and his Deputy Secretary on the project’s objectives, scope, and rollout plan, emphasising the importance of provincial leadership, coordination, and alignment with development priorities.

“This project will only succeed through strong provincial ownership. Our goal is to work side-by-side with Western Province to deliver real impact for farmers, families, and communities,” Ms Maeke said.

The courtesy call aimed to formally introduce AIM-N at the leadership level, clarify roles between MAL, the AIM-N Project Implementation Unit (PIU), and the Provincial Government, secure provincial endorsement, and establish coordination arrangements ahead of PIU staff deployment, the MAL statement said.

Premier Veo welcomed the delegation and pledged his government’s support to the project, the statement said.

“Western Province is fully committed to working with the AIM-N Project. We are ready to partner closely to ensure this program delivers meaningful benefits to our people,” Veo said.

While in Gizo the MAL and AIM-N delegation also had briefings with the provincial agriculture and extension staff at the MAL Extension Office. The team was received by Chief Field Officer Sipuru Rove, who praised the initiative.

“This project has the potential to transform agriculture in Western Province. It will strengthen extension services, empower farmers, and improve livelihoods across our communities,” Mr Rove said.

Director of Agriculture Extension Andrew Melanolu highlighted the critical role of frontline officers.

“Our extension officers are the backbone of agricultural development. AIM-N will strengthen their capacity and ensure farmers receive practical, timely, and effective support,” he said.

The AIM-N Project focuses on boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening market access, improving nutrition outcomes, empowering women, and increasing incomes for rural households across Solomon Islands.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Opposition leader, Matthew Wale, says the primary expectation of all Solomon Islanders is to ensure very basic services are available, accessible and affordable for them.

And while these become the expectation of people, it must also become priority for the government.

Speaking in a recent interview on the first episode of Insight for 2026, the leader said what the citizens of the country want is to get on with their life.

He said a young Solomon Islander wants to complete studies, work and put the food on the table, or becomes father and mother and feed their family.

In this regard, Wale emphasised that government must elevate education to become right of every citizen to be educated.

He also said when citizens go to clinic, nurses and medicines are available. Also, when refer to hospitals in Honiara, transport is available and affordable.

Wale said the quality of infrastructure is very important – roads must be passable as well as other basic infrastructure.

He said the government may talk about bigger things, but it’s important to start with these basic services  

Wale said they must make sure health services are accessible and available, education services too and infrastructure to support mobility of goods and people.

He stressed that these are among some of the basic expectation of people that government is there to provide.

Moreover, Wale acknowledged government on various political reforms such as state government, and encouraged to continue pursue them.

He said it’s important to engage Solomon Islanders in conservations about political systems and reforms the government wants to deliver for the country.

In the meantime, Wale said he feels positive about 2026 budget, especially on the basis where both government and opposition can work together on the political level.

He assured his willingness and openness to work with government in his role as opposition MP to question government’s policies and decisions.

Wale also said if government can free themselves from capture of business interests and make decisions guided only by interests of Solomon Islanders, he thinks 2026 would be a good year.

He said this is despite his disagreement with the size of allocations with certain sectors in the 2026 budget, the government can make some impacts.

BY SYLVANA TEKUMAHA
An analysis report by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHRD) on performances during the National Examination in 2025 showed a range of results by students.
For form-3 level, both genders showed strong performance in different subjects. Male students showed better performance in mathematics and sciences, while female counterparts were better in social sciences and English.
The top-performing male student for form-3 from Chung Wah Secondary School achieved a score of 377 out of 400.
Female students in form-5 level performed better in most subjects. A male and female student from King George VI School scored the highest of 533 out of 600.
As for the form-6 level, male students performed better across most subjects, especially in science and accounting. The top-performing male student from King-George Sixth School attained 439 out of 500.
Male students dominated the highest aggregate across all levels.
Around 1592 year 9 students were unplaced into form-5, while 3,703 form-6 students would require support to engage in further studies this year.
MEHRD acknowledges that access to secondary education has improved, particularly at the senior secondary education level where demand continues to exceed available spaces.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Opposition Leader, Matthew Wale has highlighted telecommunication as one of the key factors contributing to the high cost of living for ordinary Solomon Islanders.
In a recent interview on Insight, Wale called for urgent policy changes to improve the quality of telecommunication services and make them more affordable.
He said telecommunication services in the country are among the most expensive in the Pacific and, in his view, are of the poorest quality.
Wale pointed out that while he has raised the issue repeatedly, regulators have been slow to act and doing nothing about it.
He suggested that the government should consider revising policies to encourage more competition and enhance service quality.
One example he cited is the undersea cable, which is now five years into its 25-year lifespan but has yet to reach even one percent of its data capacity.
Wale emphasised that the service provided by the undersea cable is far too expensive, and called on the company to lower costs.
He urged the company to take risks and absorb losses in the short term, suggesting that expanding service availability could lead to long-term profit.
“By making the service cheaper, more people will be able to access it, and the company will see greater returns,” Wale explained.
Wale also addressed the ongoing discussion about a second undersea cable, calling it beneficial for redundancy, but questioning its economic viability.
“We’re only using one percent of the current cable’s capacity. If a second cable is introduced, how much of it will we actually use?” he asked, emphasising that this needs crucial consideration.
He noted that the high cost of telecommunication has contributed to the overall high cost of living and makes doing business in the Solomon Islands also more expensive.
Wale urged the government to take immediate action on this issue for the benefit of ordinary Solomon Islanders.