By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands Infrastructure Programme (SIIP) has commenced work in approving projects and many more to be considered in coming months.
Some of the projects approved including redeveloping markets in Malaita, Isabel, Western, Guadalcanal and Honiara.
Australia High Commissioner in Honiara, Dr Lachlan Strahan told media in a breakfast event at Heritage Park Hotel yesterday those markets were selected to be geographically inclusive to make sure that SIIP reaches out across the country.
Strahan said they are also funding water and sanitation study for Bina Harbour (Malaita Province) as part of preparation phase.
He said it is so important the water needs of the local communities plus what they hope to be a Tuna processing plant and port are all met.
Furthermore, Strahan said they are funding the design detail work for the Noro Port (Western).
He said later this week they have a new set of proposals which they will put in front of them to make some decision about what they should be funding.
All SIIP activities are decided by a high-level Solomon Islands-Australia Steering Committee, co-chaired by the Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Australia High Commissioner.
Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC), and Finance and Treasury are also members.
The committee meets quarterly to assess and agree on projects SIIP will support, and reviews progress on activities already underway.
This joint decision making ensures projects are well aligned to national priorities and coordinated within the scope of SIIP resourcing.
The SIIP is Australia’s flagship 10-year $1.5 billion partnership with Solomon Islands to create local economic opportunities through a pipeline of high priority infrastructure projects.
Launched in 2021, SIIP will:
- Help build high quality, nation-building infrastructure focussing on inclusion, climate resilience and local jobs.
- Work with government and industry to establish the best settings and practices to plan, finance, construct and maintain infrastructure to drive long term, sustainable economic growth across the nation.
