Solomon Islands and Australia are more integrated than ever, through significant growth in labour mobility, business linkages and trade.
During his two-day visit to Honiara, Minister for Pacific Islands Affairs, Pat Conroy, celebrated a significant milestone – more than 10,000 Solomon Islanders have now gone to work in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
This milestone highlights the extraordinary growth in the number of PALM workers from Solomon Islands in recent years, thanks to a successful partnership between Solomon Islands and Australia.
The PALM scheme has played an important role in boosting Solomon Islands’ economy and improving the lives of thousands of Solomon Islanders.
The benefits are clear, with the Central Bank of Solomon Islands reporting that labour mobility workers sent home SBD475 million in remittances in 2024 to support their families and communities.
“The PALM scheme has transformed the lives of Solomon Islanders and their families across all provinces,” Conroy said.
“I am pleased to announce the 10,000 worker milestone during my visit to Honiara because I know how valued this scheme is, helping every-day Solomon Islanders to build family homes, pay for school fees, and start new businesses,” he added.
“There are significant flow-on effects for Solomon Islands’ economy, and it is heartening to see the PALM scheme bringing such positive change across the country.”
As Solomon Islands’ number one economic partner, Australia says it has created over 27,300 jobs for Solomon Islanders since 2021, including through the PALM scheme, its infrastructure partnerships and support to the private sector.
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