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Solomon Islands has rejoined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the global framework designed to make the management of a country’s oil, gas and mining resources more transparent and accountable. The move, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), marks an important step in the country’s efforts to strengthen…
CAIRNS, Australia — Regional lawmakers, regulators, and advocates have taken a decisive stance against the illegal logging networks harming Melanesia, transitioning from dialogue to direct enforcement. During the third Asia Pacific Forests Crime Network (APFCN) gathering at James Cook University in Cairns from last week, thirty-five specialists gathered to confront the…
by Charley Piringi in Cairns, Australia A senior Papua New Guinea leader warned PNG and the Solomon Islands that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels.“ Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro…
An Australian gold miner has sold off its operations in Papua New Guinea to a Chinese state-owned company. Western Australia-based St Barbara, which once operated the Gold Ridge mine in Central Guadalcanal, is offloading its ownership of the New Simberi gold project to the Lingbao Gold Group for $410 million.…
The Solomon Islands government is moving to overhaul outdated mining legislation, with the Minister for Mines and Energy, Derrick Manu’ari, declaring the current “first come, first serve” policy a fundamental flaw that undermines the rights of customary landowners. In a statement issued today, Minister Manu’ari emphasized that the existing Mines…
by Ednal Palmer The Solomon Islands Government could forgo an estimated $1 billion in revenue this year following a decision to delay proposed amendments to the country’s mineral resources legislation, Prime Minister Mathew Wale told Parliament today. The Prime Minister said the mineral resources bill contained one of the Government’s…
by Charley Piringi The GREAT Government, led by Prime Minister Matthew Wale, has extended consultations on the much-anticipated Mineral Resources Bill by two months, following recommendations from the Parliamentary Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) — a move welcomed by independent leaders amid mounting environmental concerns at major mining sites. Addressing…
The Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) says it has written to Prime Minister Matthew Wale, asking him to withdraw the Mineral Resources Bill 2025. BLC Chairman Jamie Vokia revealed this yesterday when Gold Ridge landowners presented a petition to his committee at Parliament House. The landowners, who host the country’s…
by Michael E. Miller (OCCRP) and Carmel N. Pilotti (OCCRP) A Pacific island’s president bypassed an official selection process when he chose an Indian company to reopen a multi-billion dollar mine. He told OCCRP the firm’s managing director offered to pay for his wife’s kidney transplant but insisted it had…
Women play a critical role in promoting transparency, accountability and community wellbeing in Solomon Islands’ mining communities, participants heard at a workshop in Honiara. The workshop focused on strengthening women’s participation and voices in the extractive industries sector. British High Commissioner Paul Turner, UNDP Pacific Office Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel,…
