Solomon Islands Deputy Prime Minister Francis Sade has reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring the country's mineral wealth delivers greater economic benefits to its citizens, endorsing a policy of increasing national participation in the mining sector.
Sade welcomed Guadalcanal Premier Willie Atu's endorsement of the government's "First Bite, Better Bite" principle, which seeks to retain more value from the country's mineral resources within Solomon Islands.
Speaking on the government's mining agenda, Sade said the GREAT Coalition Government plans to establish a state-owned mining enterprise, a Mineral Holdings State-Owned Enterprise and a gold trading and buying framework under the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.
"These initiatives are designed to ensure that resource extraction drives national development, rather than merely accompanying it," Sade said.
The proposed reforms are intended to increase the country's participation across the mining value chain while ensuring that revenues from mineral extraction contribute more directly to national development.
Sade also addressed longstanding concerns over safety at the Gold Ridge mine, acknowledging recurring fatalities at the operation and stressing that worker safety and community welfare must remain central to mining policy.
"When resource wealth flows out while grief flows in, it is a clear reminder that minerals without justice do not enrich a people, they embitter them," he said.
The deputy prime minister said fair compensation for customary landowners and meaningful national participation in mining projects should be regarded as essential components of resource development rather than optional measures.
"Fairness, dignity and inclusion are the foundation for lasting peace on our resource sites and for the wellbeing of the communities who own the land," he said.
Sade said the government's approach reflects lessons learned from Guadalcanal's history and is aimed at creating a mining sector that delivers long-term economic and social benefits while strengthening public confidence in the country's natural resource governance.
