The Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) of the National Parliament will begin a provincial inquiry into the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 and the Value Added Tax Bill 2025 in Isabel Province. Committee members will depart Honiara 16 March 2026, with public hearings scheduled to begin in Buala on 17 March. The inquiry is intended to give leaders, sta...

The Office of the Prime Minister has established a Cryptocurrency Advisory Working Group to assess policy and legislative options for addressing international cybercrime, including ransomware, while safeguarding the country’s financial stability and international obligations. Formed in partnership with the Financial Intelligence Unit, the new body will...

The Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands has commenced its inquiry into the Value Added Tax Bill 2025, a proposed law aimed at reforming and modernising the country’s tax system. The inquiry began on March 11, with the committee examining the proposed legislation that seeks to simplify and modernise how ta...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has launched the Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project in Western Province, aiming to strengthen agriculture, improve nutrition and boost rural incomes. The project was officially launched in Gizo by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Franklyn Derek Wasi in...

A Solomon Islands government cabinet sub-committee overseeing reforms to the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA) has conducted an official visit to Central Islands Province to support plans aimed at revitalising rural commodity markets and strengthening agricultural exports. The CEMA Cabinet Sub-Committee visited the province from March 4 to ...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has launched the Solomon Islands National Infrastructure Investment Plan (SINIIP) 2026 Dossier, outlining more than SBD$19 billion ($2.2 billion) in proposed infrastructure projects aimed at supporting economic growth and improving public services. The plan was unveiled in Honiara on March 9 during a launc...

 Fiji is seeking to deepen economic and security cooperation with the United Kingdom, with Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister Sakiasi Ditoka holding a series of meetings in London aimed at advancing infrastructure investment, maritime security and employment opportunities for Fijians. The discussions took place on the margins of the 26th Commo...

 Culture and Tourism Minister Choylin Douglas has officially opened the Rua Kokomu Island Resort, also known as Double Island Resort, in Gela, underscoring the Solomon Islands government's push to expand the tourism sector. The luxury resort, owned and operated by the Leong family, was formally opened on March 6 following significant private investment...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has announced the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) as the National Tourism Organisation (NTO) Regional Leader Sponsor for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) 2026, to be held from 25–26 March 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Resort & Spa, Nadi. SPTE 2026 will bring together tourism sellers and buyers from across th...

Pacific leaders are calling for stronger global investment in ocean sustainability. More than 150 government, finance and philanthropic leaders gathered in Suva this week for Pacific Ocean Finance Week, an event aimed at advancing funding and coordination for sustainable ocean management. The gathering was convened by the Office of the Pacific Ocean Co...

Fiji’s tourism and aviation sectors will remain central to the country’s economic development strategy, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka said in Parliament, as the government also advances plans for a new tourism law to strengthen governance of the industry. Responding during a ministerial statement, Gavo...

Solomon Islands ministers and officials visited the Wellington Chocolate Factory this week as part of a broader trip to New Zealand aimed at strengthening agricultural partnerships and expanding market opportunities for Pacific farmers. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Franklyn Derek Wasi and Minister for Health and Medical Services P...

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) Board Chairman Solomon Kalu and Chief Executive Officer Johnson Honimae paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele today at the Prime Minister’s Office to present SIBC’s Strategic Plan 2026–2030 and provide an update on the broadcaster’s operations. Since its removal as a State-Owned Enterpri...

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka honoured industry leaders and businesses at the ANZ Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2025, highlighting tourism’s continued role as a key driver of the country’s economy. Speaking at the awards ceremony held in Nadi on 28 February, Rabuka said Fiji’s tourism industry continues to demonstrate resilience and adaptabil...

Fiji Airports and its chief executive Mesake Nawari have received international recognition at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Awards 2026 held in Berlin, Germany, with Nadi International Airport named Best Airport – South Pacific Islands. Nawari also received the PATWA Gold Award – Excellence in Leadership – Ai...

Air Niugini has launched a companywide Customer Experience Transformation (CXT) programme aimed at improving service standards and positioning the national carrier for a higher international airline rating. The initiative was introduced during the airline’s first staff town hall of 2026 held last Friday in Port Moresby, which also marked the formal wel...

The Ministry of Policing and Communications is advancing a major legislative review aimed at modernizing Fiji’s telecommunications regulatory framework to support the country’s expanding digital economy. Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua said the first round of stakeholder consultations was successfully completed from 23 to 27 F...

A delegation of members of the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council (APIBC), led by President Simon Gorman, will embark on a Northern Pacific business mission commencing on 4 March, with Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed in Nauru, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Guam. The MoU with Nauru will be formally signed in person on 4...

Pacific Tourism Organisation has announced a strategic partnership with Fiji Airways as platinum partner for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) 2026. The event will be held from March 25 to 26, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Resort & Spa under the theme “Tourism that Connects: Culture, Climate, Community”. SPTE 2026 will highlight the Pacific’...

The Alisuri Sustainable Livelihood Association in Marokafo village, an inland community in the northern region of Malaita Province, is helping women save money to support their families. The association is one of 45 Agribusiness Producer Organisations (ABPOs) in Malaita Province supported by the Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) ...

The United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Paul Turner, visited the Tina River Hydropower Development Project site on 20 February to observe progress on the country’s flagship renewable energy initiative. Turner, accompanied by a team of UK energy specialists, began the visit at Garivera Campsite, where the delegation received an induct...

Regional growth and trade resilience are under renewed scrutiny as Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) launched the 2026 Pacific Islands Export Survey, inviting businesses across 16 Forum Island Countries to participate in the region’s only longitudinal study of exporter sentiment. The survey comes at a time when global trade conditions are increasingly shaped ...

On the sidelines of the 2026 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Investment Convention in Toronto, Canada, Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Mining Solen Loifa, MP, announced a sweeping suite of regulatory and institutional reforms designed to transform PNG into the Asia-Pacific region’s most conducive destination for mining investment...

The Government of Fiji and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) have taken a significant step toward advancing private sector-led growth and strengthening economic ties between Fiji and the United States. The Compact Development Funding Agreement was signed by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Fiji’s Minister for Finance, Comm...