BY JOSES SAREN
Prime Minister Matthew Wale says fixing the economy and rolling out free education are the top priorities for his GREAT Coalition Government’s two-year term ahead of the next general election.
Wale made the comments in the first episode of PM Connect, a new programme launched by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary in which the Prime Minister is interviewed on government policy. The episode was hosted by Press Secretary Douglas Marau.
Wale said the economy has to shift away from its reliance on unsustainable logging, noting that commercially accessible natural forest below 400 metres elevation is now nearly exhausted. He said this was already dragging down government revenue and the wider economy, since logging had historically supported many other businesses and services.
On the mineral sector, Wale said his government wants legislative changes, including amendments to mining laws before Parliament, to ensure Solomon Islanders, landowners, resource owners and provinces become genuine participants and beneficiaries rather than bystanders.
He said the plan includes state-owned enterprises holding mining tenements, government prospecting partnerships with contractors, and government equity shares in mining ventures. Trust legislation is also planned so that landowner benefits go towards long-term needs such as housing and water rather than being paid out as cash.
Wale said all mining revenue will flow into a sovereign wealth fund, to be invested overseas rather than spent directly through the treasury, with only the investment returns eventually funding health and education. He said the government also wants to stop the underpricing of Solomon Islands’ mineral exports, saying some resources have been sold for close to half the world price, and is examining options for a gold refinery and a nickel smelter to add value locally, though he acknowledged those projects will not be completed within the current two-year term.
On agriculture, Wale said the government is looking to unlock the potential of the cocoa and coconut sectors through expanded farmer extension services, research investment, and incentives for private sector investment in processing. He said the plan includes setting up nurseries for higher-yield cocoa and coconut varieties to boost returns per hectare and export earnings.
Free education is due to begin rolling out in early 2027, with a wider rollout planned for 2028, Wale said, adding that classroom and infrastructure gaps — expected to be most acute in Honiara, Guadalcanal and West Malaita — will be addressed as the policy is implemented. He said the government also wants to introduce a stronger STEM focus from mid-primary level onward, with a target of training 1,000 STEM teachers over the next two years to support both general schooling and technical and trades institutions.
Asked about the state of the economy since taking office in May, Wale said Solomon Islands’ annual GDP currently sits at around $12 to $13 billion, and should be closer to $60 to $70 billion had earlier governments diversified the economy sooner. He cited a recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey finding that close to 29 percent of the population lives in poverty, and pointed to logging-affected communities as an example of resource extraction that left little lasting benefit.
On the cost of living, Wale said fuel and freight costs are being driven up by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict and are largely outside the government’s control, but said his government is pursuing several fronts it can influence. These include talks with Solomon Power over reducing electricity tariffs, given that Tina Hydro’s power will come at a high cost once completed, as well as talks with telecommunications providers, a cable company and the ports authority to bring down charges, and discussions with commercial banks over lending rates and fees.
Marau closed the episode by inviting members of the public to send in questions, comments or suggestions to be put to the Prime Minister in future instalments of PM Connect.
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