Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) has called on the GREAT Coalition to publicly justify the number, roles and costs of its political appointees, warning that the growing payroll could place further pressure on public finances.
GREAT has engaged 58 political appointees.
In statement, TSI said political appointments are a legitimate tool for governments to implement their policy agendas.
However, it said the scale of the current appointments and the lack of public information surrounding them are concerning.
“Reports that the Government has appointed 58 political appointees, many at the ‘superscale’ level, raise serious questions about whether the arrangements represent value for taxpayers’ money,” TSI said.
The organisation’s concerns come as Solomon Islands faces growing fiscal pressures.
The World Bank’s August 2026 Economic Update warned of an uneven economic recovery, rising inflation and government cash reserves covering less than one month of spending.
TSI said the public sector wage bill has also nearly doubled since the pre-pandemic period.
It warned that expanding the political payroll was difficult to justify while the economy faced what the World Bank described as concentrated growth and problems with the allocation of credit.
TSI also raised concerns that some political appointments could be based on political considerations rather than professional expertise.
It said the Government must ensure appointments are based on the ability to deliver national priorities.
Furthermore, TSI said it wants the system made more transparent, professional and accountable.
The organisation is calling for every political appointee to have a clear job description and measurable performance targets.
It also wants the Government to explain how political appointments complement, rather than duplicate, the work of permanent public servants.
TSI said appointments should be based primarily on professional competence and the ability to deliver results.
It is also calling on the Government to publicly disclose the total cost of salaries and other benefits paid to political appointees.
“A performance monitoring system should also be established to measure their productivity and results.
“The Government should also disclose the terms of reference, reporting arrangements and remuneration packages for each position.
TSI said the Government should demonstrate how each appointment contributes to specific and measurable national development priorities.
It warned that withholding information would fuel public speculation about the appointments.
“When official information is withheld, speculation thrives,” TSI said.
The organisation said transparency was essential to building public trust.
“Public money must yield public results,” it said.
TSI said the Government’s commitment to transparency should be demonstrated by making political appointments public, accountable and focused on results.
“Transparency is not a critique – it is a requirement for good governance,” the organisation said
