Author: Charley Piringi
New opportunities for local companies
LOCAL construction firms and suppliers in Solomon Islands are expected to benefit from Australian-funded infrastructure projects, following a workshop delivered by the Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) under the Solomon Islands-Australia economic partnership. The fourth workshop in a series was attended by 43 firms, and aimed at helping local industries…
Ship’s anchor damages local undersea cable Â
by GEORGINA MAKA’A INTERNET service between Honiara and the provincial towns of Auki, Taro and Noro will remain out of service for several weeks, Solomon Islands Submarine Cable Company (SISCC) says. The service was cut off on May 10 after a fishing vessel anchor damaged the undersea domestic cable. SISCC,…
PMO loses Chief of Staff Djokovic Â
by Georgina Maka’a PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare lost his high-profile Chief of Staff Robson Djokovic early Thursday 11 May 2023. Djokovic, who held the position since 2019, died of heart failure at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara at around 5.45am. A hospital spokesperson told In-depth Solomons Djokovic died…
Gov’t told to amend  Political Party lawsÂ
by Charley Piringi THE Government has been told to review and amend the Political Parties Integrity Act 2014 ahead of next year’s national elections. The Political Parties Commission recommended this in a submission it presented to the Sogavare Government recently. Acting Political Parties Commission Registrar Glinson Galo told In-depth Solomons…
Journalists launch first investigative media outlet in Solomon IslandsÂ
A NEW investigative media outlet has been launched in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on 5 May 2023. It comes two days after the world marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3. In-depth Solomons is an initiative of three leading Solomon Islands journalists Ofani Eremae, Georgina Maka’a and Charley Piringi. In-depth…
Pacific Gambit: Inside the Chinese Communist Party and Triad Push into Palau
The tiny Pacific nation of Palau is a key hotspot in the growing rivalry between China and the West. Organized criminals with links to the Chinese Communist Party are trying to find a way in — and many in the local elite have welcomed them. Key Findings The tiny Pacific…
Korean Doomsday Sect Gets Rich in Fiji With Government Help
Grace Road Church believes a nuclear-tinged Judgment Day is rapidly approaching — and that Fiji is the post-apocalyptic promised land from which they’ll feed humanity. But despite repeated accusations of abuses, including ritual beatings and forcing members to perform unpaid labor, they’ve received a warm welcome from the Fijian government.…
Murdered Papua New Guinea Ports Official Benefitted From Suspect Offshore Payments
By OCCRP A Manila-based multinational paid millions of dollars into the offshore account of an Australian consultant around the time it won lucrative contracts to operate Papua New Guinea’s biggest ports. Senior PNG Ports officials — including one who was recently killed — then received money and apparent benefits. Key…