BY BEN BILUA
GIZO
The government of Western Province under the leadership of Premier Billy Veo has made history by being the first provincial government to ever submit a consolidated financial report to the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) — a milestone that has now qualified the province for the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF).
Premier Veo revealed this during the Western Provincial Assembly meeting this week, describing the achievement as a “historic breakthrough” for the province.
“I’m indeed pleased to note that after being disqualified in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years’ assessments, we finally qualified in the 2023/2024 assessment,” Veo said.
Western Province scored 62 out of 100, placing it second behind Isabel Province in the national PCDF assessment for the 2023/2024 financial year.
Veo said the achievement is the result of his executive government’s strong political will and commitment towards ensuring accountability and transparency in financial management.
He explained that the provincial government successfully compiled financial statements for the Western Provincial Investment Corporation (WPIC) covering 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 financial years.
“This has enabled our Provincial Accounting Specialist and WPIC accountant to consolidate both WPG and WPIC financial statements before submitting them to the OAG in June 2025,” Veo said.
He added that Western Province is now the first province or public entity in the Solomon Islands to have ever submitted a consolidated financial statement — setting a benchmark for other provinces to follow.
Veo acknowledges the Western Provincial Government Administration, the Provincial Planning Team, and the Finance and Treasury Division for their dedication and teamwork in achieving the milestone.
“I would like to urge you to continue to work hard and ensure we get even better results in the next PCDF assessment,” he said.
Photo: Supplied
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