By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands needs to continue to strive to increase small scale rural productivity as part of our ‘transformative’ agenda.
Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination, Rexon Ramofafia stressed this during his debate on the $4.6 billion budget in Parliament.
“Our country’s mostly rural population is still largely predominantly subsistent and engaged only in small holder farming, which is less efficient and the least prospective productive sector.
“We need to continue to strive to increase small scale rural productivity as part of our ‘transformative’ agenda,” he said.
Ramofafia said improving connectivity is therefore vital for inclusive income growth and prosperity.
“Easier, cheaper and more efficient movement of people, goods, services and information so that our dispersed population can share in the benefits of concentrated growth.
“Improving connectivity will also support small scale agricultural efficiencies,” he said.
Ramofafia said agriculture, fisheries, tourism, mining, forestry hold a lot of potential.
“But we also need to create the enabling environment for these sectors to thrive and to contribute at scale.
“Solomon Islands’ economic drivers will continue to concentrate activity, employment and income in high growth centres or nodes,” he said.
Ramofafia said these nodes currently are around major towns and centres, where services are concentrated.
“Other nodes with potential to expand exist around largescale processing and industrial centres, such as around mining, onshore fish processing plants and agro industry operations such as the palm oil productions and as well as around forestry and logging.
“The tourism sector also holds great potential although relatively it currently contributes minimally to GDP,” he said.
In addition, Ramofafia said energy remains critical to transformation and to empowering our people.
He said investments in renewable energy can help to lower the cost of electricity and drive economic productivity as well as contribute to general improvements in people’s wellbeing and livelihoods.
“It also supports the ability to provide and to access social services,” he added.
Moreover, Ramofafia said urbanisation is a growing issue that could also trigger other negative social impacts.
He said it is also an issue that will create additional pressures on urban services and one that we need to seriously address in order to avoid our cities and towns becoming unhealthy, inefficient and unpleasant places to live and do business in.
“Increasing climate and natural disasters will worsen the health, sanitary and safety conditions of our towns and cities and especially those of informal settlements in the peri urban areas,” he added.
