By EDDIE OSIFELO
MINISTRY of Culture and Tourism is looking at identifying other investable potential sites on registered land on Guadalcanal, Central Islands and Western province.
This is made possible by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funded Accessing Land for Tourism Investment Facilitation (ALTIF) project.
Initially, MCT has already identified 80 investable potential sites on registered land in Western Province, supported by International Finance Corporation (IFC).
MCT permanent secretary, Barney Sivoro told media in a joint press conference with MCC Resident Threshold Director Charles Jakosa at the US Embassy yesterday.
He said over the years, they tried to develop tourism sector but with little improvement due to number of factors like lack of quantity and quality rooms to meet international standard.
Further to that, he said on biggest challenge tourism faced is lack of investable sites (land) to attract investors.
Sivoro said there are land but not properly exposed and profiling to the state to attract investors to come and invest.
However, he said under this ALTIF project, it will address this problem.
Sivoro said for sub activity 1 of this project is to improve access to land and establish social license to operate for Tourism investors.
He said the key objective is to enable tourism investment to have long term land tenure security through fair business agreement with land owners and surrounding communities.
The implementing partner for this activity is Tetra Tech.
Furthermore, Sivoro said in the sub activity 2 is to increase tourism investment through investment facilitation.
He said the key objective is to take proactive approach to facilitate tourism investment on attractive investment process to help all relevant actors realise tangible investments that will contribute to long term economic growth through tourism.
IFC is the implementing partner in the activity.
Further to that, Sivoro said there will be Facilitated Governance Reform to help them in the processes and policies to facilitate access to land and investments are assessed, reviewed, amended and documented in order to establish sets of practical and workable approaches in the long term.
The implementing partner in this activity is DT Global.
The MCC ALTIF project is a four years cycle project.
The MCC identified the Solomon Islands as a country partner in December 2018, and, due to delays caused by covid, the MCC and the Government of Solomon Islands signed the Solomon Islands Threshold Program Grant Agreement in January 2022, formalizing a partnership that aims to encourage sustainable development and alleviate poverty. The US$20 million investment works to yield economic growth in the natural resource management and tourism sectors.
Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth.
Solomon Islands Government and the MCC Threshold Program are also partnering on the Forest Value Enhancement Project (FoVEP), which aims to generate more reliable, sustainable benefits from the country’s natural forest resources.
