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PM receives courtesy call from Sinomach officials

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Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele met officials from the China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH), marking a significant step toward strengthening mutual cooperation in rural development and sustainable energy initiatives.

Facilitated by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), the courtesy visit underscored shared commitments to addressing critical needs in rural communities across the Solomon Islands, a statement by the PM’s office and MRD yesterday said.

The visiting SINOMACH team, led by Deputy General Manager Luo Xi Vincent, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage with PM Manele as he highlighted the Corporation’s global expertise in infrastructure, energy, and rural development.

“We are privileged to collaborate with the Solomon Islands government to identify attainable solutions that will elevate socio-economic progress in rural communities,” Luo Xi said.

Mr Luo also conveyed his team’s deep appreciation to PM Manele for the opportunity to meet, acknowledging the prevailing trade relations between Solomon Islands and China.

The team is currently in the country on a fact-finding mission with the aims to;

  • Showcase SINOMACH’s Global Expertise: Share insights from successful projects worldwide, particularly in rural electrification, sustainable energy, and agricultural development.
  • Assess Local Needs: Evaluate immediate priorities in rural communities, including access to clean energy, freshwater distillation, and saltwater desalination.
  • Promote Food Security: Explore investments in agriculture, including the redevelopment of rice paddy fields, to bolster economic growth and self-sufficiency.
  • Explore Collaborative Opportunities: Identify synergies in infrastructure, light industries, and technology-driven solutions tailored to the Solomon Islands’ unique challenges.
  • Establish Long-Term Support: Lay the groundwork for a permanent agency to facilitate ongoing development partnerships.

While in the country, the team will meet with different Solomon Islands officials including key Ministers and government Ministries associated with provincial governments, Communities, and national development sectors in energy and electrification with various development interests in infrastructure, light industries and agriculture.

This is the second time the company’s technical officials visit the Pacific and to Solomon Islands in particular following their first visit last year.

China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH) is a state-owned enterprise under the Central Government of the People’s Republic of China, specializing in machinery, infrastructure, and sustainable development projects worldwide.  The Corporation present in five continents, with more than 300 overseas service agencies in over 100 countries and regions.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on the services offered by SINOMACH which cover such critical national economic fields as machinery, energy, transportation, automobiles, shipbuilding, metallurgy, construction, electronics, environmental engineering, aeronautics and astronautics, and light industry.

In response, Prime Minister Manele acknowledged the SINOMACH team for meeting him while emphasizing the importance of international partnerships in transforming the nation’s development landscape.

“Our rural communities are the backbone of the Solomon Islands. By working with partners like SINOMACH, we can harness innovative technologies and investments to create lasting change,” Manele said.

Wale condemns illegal mining along Mbalasuna River

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The Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale has strongly condemned the illegal mining operation taking place along the Mbalasuna River, describing them as blatant criminal acts that violate the environment and livelihoods of local communities.

While acknowledging the efforts of the ECD Director and MMRE Chief Inspector, Mr Wale questioned the apparent inaction of the relevant authorities, a statement by Opposition yesterday said.

“It is incomprehensible that despite official orders, the company continues operations unimpeded. Why is enforcement absent?

“Are the responsible officials negligent, indifferent, or complicit? Each of these scenarios is equally alarming and simply unacceptable” Wale said.

The Opposition Leader further questioned how a company can operate without a valid prospecting license, mining lease, or mandatory development consent, and continue to do so over two months.

“How can the Prime Minister and his Minister of Mines allow this to continue at the expense of the people? Solomon Islanders deserve better,” Wale said.

Wale said the situation reflects a dangerous pattern that has previously been seen in the logging sector.

“This is a repeat of the same tragic scenario. Resources extracted illegally, environmental safeguards ignored, and communities left devastated. Such exploitation cannot be justified as development. It is theft, plain and simple,” Wale emphasised.

Wale said that an urgent and coordinated intervention by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Environment, and RSIPF must happen immediately.

“Immediate steps must be taken to shut down this illegal operation. A comprehensive investigation must be launched urgently, and those responsible, be they private operators or complicit public officials, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wale insisted.

Concluding, Wale reiterated his call for a complete moratorium on all future mining activities until fair and just legal safeguards are enacted through the new Minerals Bill, the statement said.

“I have raised this in Parliament before, and I repeat it now. There should be a halt to all new mining operations until the new Minerals Bill is passed. Continuing under the current weak and outdated Act invites abuse, corruption, and irreversible damage. To proceed without reform is not only irresponsible, but also a betrayal of our people and the future of this nation.”

Poor knowledge and forgetfulness; key barriers to medication adherence for hypertension patients

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

LIMITED knowledge about medications and forgetfulness are two leading personal barriers preventing patients with chronic conditions like hypertension, from adhering to prescribed treatments, recent research has found.

The study, titled “Personal Factors Affecting Adherence in Hypertension Patients in the Solomon Islands,” was carried out last year by Solomon Islands National University (SINU) researcher Marineth Magi at the National Referral Hospital (NRH). The research focused on patients aged 41 to 70 years.

Speaking at the FALAH research seminar last week, Magi highlighted the seriousness of the issue:

“This lack of knowledge on medication intake is a serious issue that really affects patient’s health and well-being,” she said.

The research uncovered that many patients struggle to recognize their medications and have a limited understanding of how to take them correctly. These gaps in knowledge were highlighted as major contributors to non-adherence.

Additionally, Magi shared a striking statistic; nearly 70 to 80% of participants admitted to forgetting to take their daily prescribed medications.

She attributed this forgetfulness to demands of household chores and daily routines.

“Everyday, people are busy with daily tasks or chores that they tend to forget without realizing that it’s putting a risk on those diseases that they are living with,” she warned.

To address these challenges, Magi called on the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to take action by promoting community education and strengthening follow-up care for patients after hospital discharge.

“It is very important to educate the community, especially to provide a good follow-up care after patients have been discharged from the hospital,” she said.

Magi also urged healthcare workers including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists to provide patients with clear and detailed explanations about their medications.

This includes discussing potential side effects and how medications function in the body.

“This will empower patients to better understand their treatment plans and improve adherence,” she added.

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PM outlines international engagements for 2025

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By Loretta B Manele

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has given an outline of his international engagements for 2025.

He gave an update of the above whilst speaking at a press conference on Monday.

Manele said in regards to his next international engagements, the first will be as the incoming Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

He stated that he will attend a Pacific Islands Forum meeting on Mon 14th April, as part our preparations towards the PIF Leaders meeting here in Honiara in September.

Manele said he will also attend the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco from June 7th to 8th.

He stated that this is a preparatory meeting leading to the 3rd UNOC (UN Ocean Conference) which will be held on June 9 to 13th in Nice, France where he will speak as the host of the Honiara Summit that was held in Honiara in February this year.

The Prime Minister is also invited to speak and attend the OPEC Development Fund Forum that will be held in Vienna from June 16th to 17th.

He mentioned that Solomon Islands has signed an agreement framework with the OPEC Development Fund and hopefully, financing agreement on concessional funding requested by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) will be finalized at that time.

Manele said he will also be attending Papua New Guinea’s 50th independence anniversary between Sept 15th and 17th.

He added that on the invitation from James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, all PIF leaders will travel from Honiara to Port Moresby after the PIF meeting to participate in PNG’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations.

Manele said his final international engagement for this year will be at the 80th UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) meeting in New York from 21st Sept to 30th Sept.

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Premier Salini criticizes rushed consultation on Special Economic Zone Bill

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BY NED GAGAHE

Central Islands Province Premier Michael Salini has raised concerns about the limited consultation period for the Special Economic Zone Bill 2024, telling Parliament’s Bills and Legislation Committee that his delegation lacked sufficient time to properly analyze the proposed legislation. 

Speaking during yesterday’s hearing, Salini revealed his team only received a copy of the bill last week and participated in a briefing with the Commerce Ministry task force just one day before the parliamentary session.

“We didn’t have time to really scrutinize and understand the bill in its entirety,” Salini stated, adding that this tight timeline prevented them from fully grasping the technical aspects or potential negative impacts on provinces. 

While expressing these concerns, the premier carefully acknowledged the government’s efforts, stating: “We don’t want to undermine the amount of hard work that has been put into this bill.” He noted his understanding that consultations had occurred in other provinces before his team’s involvement. 

Salini called for more inclusive consultation processes in the future to ensure provincial governments can meaningfully contribute to legislation that directly affects their communities.

Despite the criticism, Premier Salini offered conditional support for the Bill.

 “If the intention is to build our economy for the benefit of our people, my team is willing to support it.” He said. 

The premier also highlighted ongoing challenges in legislative consultation between the national government and provincial administrations.

The Bills and Legislation Committee is expected to consider these concerns as deliberations on the Special Economic Bill throughout the week, with remaining stakeholders and witnesses who are invited to present their views.

Presented before the Committee yesterday were Premiers of Renbel, Malaita, Choiseul, Isabel, Makira, Western, Temotu and Central and provincial government officials.

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Study highlights cultural and social barriers to proper medication

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

RESEARCH has shown that reliance on herbal remedies, negative attitudes towards prescribed treatments and alcohol consumption are major factors undermining medication adherence among hypertension patients at the National Referral Hospital (NRH).

Researcher Marineth Magi of the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) explained that  patients participating in the study opted for herbal alternatives due to cultural beliefs and perceptions

“They(patients) think that it is safer for them to take it however, there is always no scientific proof at all for those herbal medications that they take,” she said. 

Negative attitudes towards prescribed medications also surfaced as a significant barrier.

“They feel exhausted after taking medications for such a long time. Some miss their doses for a day or two, while others only take their medications when they feel unwell,” she noted.

Additionally, alcohol consumption further complicated the adherence problem. Magi revealed that certain patients avoid taking their medication while socializing, believing that alcohol interferes with the effectiveness of their treatments.

“They think alcohol interferes with how the medication works. Because of this belief, they skip their doses during social events,” she added.

Magi emphasized the need for a coordinated effort to address these challenges. “A multi-sectoral approach involving patients, families, healthcare providers and the government is essential to promote adherence to prescribed treatments,” she said.

She called for the development and implementation of effective intervention programs tailored to address these barriers.

“Effective intervention program should be developed and implemented to address these adherence challenges,” she added.

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Kukum clinic renovation nearing completion

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

RENOVATION work on Kukum clinic, East Honiara is advancing well and expected to be completed by June this year, according to a public notice from Honiara City Council’s (HCC) Health Division.

The announcement has brought relief to residents who regularly depend on the clinic. Local resident Mirriam Balau, whose family relies on the facility for medical visits, expressed her eagerness for its reopening.

“I am looking forward to the reopening of the clinic,” she said.

Balau shared the difficulties patients have faced since the clinic’s closure, particularly the financial burden of seeking services elsewhere.

“Recently, I visited the clinic and found it was closed. I had to spend extra money traveling to another nearby health center,” she explained.

Contractors working on the clinic reported that renovations have been ongoing for nearly six weeks. They remain confident in finishing the project by the end of this month, which is two months ahead of the originally projected deadline.

However, they noted that additional finishing touches might be needed in coming months if necessary.

In related updates, HCC confirmed that the Rove clinic has reopened, while the Mataniko outpatient clinic remains under renovation.

The notice also announced extended clinic hours at Rove and Vura clinics, which will now remain open until 10 PM every day.

Additionally, for weekends and public holidays, Rove clinic will cater to residents in west Honiara, Mataniko clinic will serve central Honiara and Kukum clinic will handle patients in east Honiara.

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Broken promises, Tulagi’s fall from grace: Premier Salini

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BY NED GAGAHE

Premier of Central Islands Province Michael Salini says Tulagi, former capital of Solomon Islands and once a proud capital, is now starting from scratch.

Salini uttered this statement when contributing to the Special Economic Zone Bill 2024 during Bills and Legislation Committee hearing in Parliament yesterday.

“Mr. Chairman, the story of my province, as you might have been aware, has been a sad one. As a host of the first capital of the country, we started off fairly well in terms of investment and some small but limited infrastructure in place.” He said.

Premier Salini said successive national governments have allowed this investment to either be taken away or allowed to deteriorate to the point where a lot of money is needed to rehabilitate them.

He said as far as CIP government is concerned; the province is basically just going to start from scratch again.

However, the Premier said the people of Central province need to be pulled out from the economic stagnancy and the level of poverty they are in. 

He said if this bill is a way forward, they will be happy to support it.

“If the special economic zone can be an avenue to attract foreign investment, improve trade and perhaps provide economic opportunities for our people in terms of employment, then I think it’s a good idea.” Premier Salini said.

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Renbel escapes PCDF penalty

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Rennell Bellona province escapes the worse penalty possible any province could get for serious mismanagement of the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) program, administered under the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthen (MPGIS).

Over the past years, abuse and maladministration of the fund was rife in the province, where Rennell Bellona province was known for the record of “failing PCDF assessments.”

The province was also given with the “disclaimer status” – the lowest rating of the PCDF assessment and even reached the point where MPGIS had to revoke their PCDF account – an area Rennell Bellona government is currently working on with MPGIS.

Fortunately, Premier Pongi led Alliance for Reform and Progress Government RBRPG of Rennell Bellona province has rescued and restored the province back on the program in 2023.

He revealed that prior to his government, Rennell Bellona province had the worst record of PCDF assessments.

“For long time, Rennel Bellona didn’t pass the PCDF assessment. Even, the province was given with a disclaimer status, based on auditing of the PCDF fund.

“It is shameful for a province to hold that disclaimer status and continued to fail the PCDF program for many years.

“And for a small province to continue failed the funding program, it only deprived the people of Rennell Bellona province from this much needed funding,” Pongi said.

He stated a key area past governments had been disqualifying the province on the PCDF program was failure to pay the ward development grant.

Pongi explained ward grant becomes a Minimum Condition under the PCDF, and if it is not paid, the province can be disqualified.

Adding there were other areas, but this was the key area for their disqualification.

With all these, when Pongi led government took office, one of their aims was to pass the province’s PCDF assessment and restore the province in the program.

This is so that they can regain the trust of the national government, development partners, NGOs and the people of Rennell Bellona province.

He said they did it. “After coming in, we were able to pass the 2022/2023 PCDF assessment.

“Since then, we are improving the status of the province on the funding program with positive progress.

“We ensure, Ward Development Committee (WDCs) are well set-up, by creating their accounts and issuing the funds.

“This is a big achievement for Rennell Bellona province especially its people, who have been deprived from the fund for the past years,” Pongi said.   

Meanwhile, he emphasized that while Rennell Bellona province has requalified for the PCDF program, it was a signal to everyone that the current executive of Renbel province means business.

“Simply, we are saying you can trust us.

“This is what we want. We want national government, NGOs, donor partners and the people of Rennell Bellona province to trust us,” Pongi said.

According to the premier, after passing the 2022/2023 PCDF assessment, which belonged to the previous government, they were awarded with around SBD $3.3 million.

His government also received a funding of SBD $927,000 from UNDP and SBD $1 million dollar for East Rennell tourism.

He noted that the SBD $3.3 million and other funds received has doubled the budget of Rennell Bellona province for the first time.

Pongi highlighted the milestone achievement of the province on the PCDF program and assured the commitment of this government to maintain and improve on the program.

He said the province expects the PCDF assessment for 2023/2024 next month and the first PCDF assessment under his leadership will begin next year.

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By-elections set for June 4

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

Upcoming By-elections for West Guadalcanal Constituency and Paripao Provincial Ward have been confirmed for Wednesday, June 4.

Governor General David Tiva Kapu yesterday formally appointed the date for the National Parliament by-election for West Guadalcanal Constituency in a live coverage broadcasted through SIBC. 

Similarly, the Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS) Wayne Ghemu, issued a notice scheduling the Paripao Provincial Ward By-election for the same date.

In a press conference, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) Jasper Anisi confirmed to local media that nomination opens today (April 9) and will conclude on April 15.

Anisi also announced that 2,741 voters are expected to vote in the Paripao Ward while 8,098 voters for West Guadalcanal constituency.

The Chief Electoral Officer also called on election observers interested to observe the by-elections to visit the SIEC office for accreditation.

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