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Finance minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has directed the Customs and Excise Division to immediately enforce a 15 per cent export duty on alluvial gold and gold concentrates exported from Solomon Islands. Lilo issued the Ministerial Instruction to the Comptroller of Customs and Excise, requiring the Division to strictly apply the…
Prime Minister Matthew Wale has concluded a high-level visit to Washington D.C., securing discussions with major U.S. development financiers and global corporations including Google, Boeing, and Caterpillar before departing for Tokyo tomorrow. During the visit, the Prime Minister and his delegation engaged with the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and…
Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare has challenged Prime Minister Matthew Wale to publicly disclose the number of political appointees his GREAT Coalition has engaged and the total cost to taxpayers, alleging the Government has failed to uphold the transparency it once demanded while in Opposition. In a statement, Sogavare claimed the…
The National Government has started compliance checks on all Gold Dealer Licence holders in the country, following the Prime Minister’s recent policy directive on gold dealing operations. The checks are being carried out by the Mines Division of the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE). A statement from…
Bina Harbour was the central topic when Prime Minister Matthew Wale met with United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the U.S. State Department today. The meeting reaffirmed the strong and enduring partnership between Solomon Islands and the United States, with Landau assuring the Prime Minister of U.S.…
By Georgina Maka’a Members of Parliament have received another salary increase – the second in just two years – despite the continuing economic challenges facing Solomon Islanders. The newly amended 2026 Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations (PER), obtained by In-depth Solomons, reveal that the salaries of all MPs have increased again following…
Three senior public servants have been sworn in as Acting Permanent Secretaries to lead key government ministries until substantive appointments are made. They took their oaths in office before Governor-General Sir David Tiva Kapu, Friday. The appointments are: Julia Twumasi – Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police, National Security and…
The GREAT Coalition Government has begun implementing one of its key governance reforms aimed at making the Judiciary financially independent by giving it direct control over its own budget. The move, outlined in the Government’s recently released policy statement, seeks to strengthen the independence of the courts by ensuring the…
In-depth Solomon investigates the history of Constituency Development Funds, examining how the scheme was mismanaged from its inception and how recent reforms are reshaping its future. by Ednal Palmer It was originally termed the Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF), but was later changed to and now widely known as the…
Attorney-General Gabriel Suri has rejected allegations by Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare that he acted under political influence in the case involving former Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC) Director-General applicant Solomon Kalu. In a statement, Suri said the Opposition’s claims were based on speculation and unverified reports, adding that…
