Prime Minister Matthew Wale has vowed that Solomon Islands will never repeat the failures of the logging industry as the GREAT Coalition Government launches sweeping mining reforms.
“The failures experienced within the logging industry must never, and will never, be repeated in the mining sector,” PM Wale declared at the GREAT Coalition policy launch today. “I will personally make sure it’s never repeated.”
The Government will establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure temporary mineral wealth becomes a permanent national benefit. The fund will preserve resources for generations after mines close.
Reforms will also guarantee that customary landowners have genuine participation in mining decisions and that wealth extends beyond mine extraction through downstream processing and local manufacturing.
PM Wale warns, “We offer a clear warning to those who seek to exploit our institutions, manipulate our laws or profit through corruption…The law will apply equally to all. No position of authority will place any individual beyond its reach.”
āWe are interested in investors who are willing to invest and not someone who wants to just ship away natural resources.ā
Mining operations will face rigorous environmental assessment. The Government will pursue sustainable forest management and marine conservation that ensures “development and environmental responsibility advance together.”
PM Wale said that responsible investors are welcome, but partnerships must serve Solomon Islands’ national interest.
“That is not just a policy. That is a covenant with our people. And that is the standard by which this Government will be judged.”
