Economy Archive April 2014

Distribution of Food Supplies Still Continue

The Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office (NMDO) and its partner agencies are continuing to get food supplies to communities in Honiara and the greater Guadalcanal affected by the recent floods.
Representatives from RSIPF, ODPP, the Ministry of Forestry and Research, Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Immigration, the Participating Police Force (PPF), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources , Central Bank, Company Haus and others participated in the forum.

New Taskforce Established to Prosecute Illegal Companies

Solomon Islands police, prosecutors and several Government Ministries have formed a new high level taskforce to crackdown on environmental crime.
As well as treating patients, the team has implemented a range of measures to support the National Referral Hospital, including sourcing new equipment and supplies for the emergency department, improving communications, workplace safety and increasing mosquito controls.

New Zealand and Australia Send Second Medical Team

An 11-person New Zealand and Australian medical team have arrived in Honiara on Monday 28 April to assist the Solomon Islands National Referral Hospital with an influx of patients following the recent floods.
The talks covered areas including common border issues such as immigration, customs, quarantine, investment opportunities in fuel supplies, shipping services, grocery goods, agricultural commodities, fisheries and trade agreements and policies.

Bougainville and Solomons Begin Trade Talks

Senior officials from the Solomon Islands Government have held talks with a delegation from Bougainville this week to further strengthen trade links between Solomon Islands and Bougainville.
Every dollar spent at youth stalls goes towards a youth run business and encourages greater financial independence and an opportunity to support the entrepreneurial spirit of Solomon Island Youth.

Youth Market Kick Off This Week

The much-anticipated Youth Market is set to take place this Thursday the 1st of May in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The special secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr Phil Tagini, has confirmed to Pacific Beat that the Immigration Department has prevented employees of St Barbara from re-entering the country.

Gold Ridge Executives Banned from Re-entering Solomon Islands

Australian mining company St Barbara says it doesn't know why the Solomon Islands Government has banned its employees from re-entering the country.
A joint statement from the Gold Ridge landowners and Guadalcanal Province says while they share Prime Minister’s disappointment over St Barbara’s absence from its legal and technical obligations on Gold Ridge in the aftermath of the April floods, the Government must not sideline landowners in any dealing regarding Gold Ridge mine.

Gold Ridge Landowners Voice Concern

The Gold Ridge Landowners and Guadalcanal Provincial government have warned both the government and St. Barbara that they will not accept decisions of mining on their land without being involved in the consultation process.

Sumitomo Donates for Disaster Assistance

The Japanese mining company, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co, Ltd, SMM, has donated $700,000 to the Solomon Islands Government Disaster Relief effort.

Keru Wharf Upgraded

Work has begun to upgrade and rehabilitate the Keru Wharf near New Georgia in Western Province, Solomon Islands.

Heavy Rain Warning Issued

The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service has issued a Heavy Rain Alert this morning which is in force for all Provinces in the country.
“We would like to be clear these are very damaging rumours, and we do not want people to have false expectations.”

NDC Dismiss Rumours of Cash Grants

The National Disaster Council (NDC) warns against rumours of cash grants for those people displaced by the recent floods.
With schools being used as Evacuation Centers, there is uncertainty of an actual start date for all the schools occupied.

Government Encourages People to Return Home

The Solomon Islands Government is encouraging people to voluntarily leave evacuation centres and return home, with return assistance packages ready for distribution.

Vanuatu President Sends Condolence

The President of the Republic of Vanuatu, His Excellency Iolu Johnson Abbil has send condolences to the Government and people of Solomon Islands for the loss of lives and property during the April 3 floods.
Sir Peter said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the consequences of the extreme weather conditions affecting Solomon Islands.

Australia Sends Condolence

Australia’s Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove has send condolences to the people of Solomon Islands who have been devastated following the April 3 floods which killed 21 people and left thousands homeless.
For six hours, the White Demons and their Australian friends including the Australian High Commissioner shoveled nearly 200 bags of mud and put on a BBQ breakfast for the community.

Australian Friends Help Clinic Clean Up

More than thirty White River Demons AFL players and Australians gathered in White River on Wednesday morning in a community blitz organised by the SIAFL to clean up the White River Health Clinic.
Solbrew, Tongs, Solomon Tobacco and Silent World have been delivering clean water from Solbrew filtration tanks to communities in need.

Private Sector Brings Clean Water to Stricken Communities

Members of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce (SICCI) have joined forces to deliver clean filtered water to affected communities and Disaster Relief Centers in Honiara.
The Solomon Islands lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.

2 Earthquakes Strike Solomon Islands

Within a span of a few hours two strong magnitude 7 earthquakes struck the Solomon Islands on Sunday.
Homes are surrounded by mud and flood waters on the Guadalcanal Plains, Solomon Islands.

Government Begins Technical Assessment on Flood Hit Areas

The Government has started a detailed technical assessment at flood-hit areas in Honiara and Guadalcanal and other parts of the country to determine the scale of last week’s disaster.

Growth Up Slightly in Solomon Islands

Economic growth in Solomon Islands is expected to pick up slightly to 3% in 2014, and remain steady at 3% in 2015 due to a fiscal stimulus from investment projects which will have a spillover effect on the economy, according to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) 2014 Asian Development Outlook report.
St Barbara said it recorded more than 1000mm of rain at Gold Ridge in the four days to April 4, including 500mm in a 24-hour period.

Future of Gold Ridge Mining Uncertain After Floods

The long-term future of St Barbara's Gold Ridge operations is in doubt as the gold miner today suspended mining after deadly floods in the Solomon Islands.
The NDMO is still coordinating and distributing disaster relief support to evacuation centres on an ongoing basis. It is working in conjunction with the Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children, World Vision, the Honiara City Council Emergency Operation Centre and the Internally Displaced Persons welfare cluster.

Solomon Islands NDMO Issues an All-Clear Statement

The National Disaster Management Office has (NDMO) issued an All-Clear statement late yesterday afternoon, advising the public that no further threat exists and it is now safe for people in the affected areas to move around.
The Solomon Islands Government has allocated $5 million (SBD) in emergency funds to the relief effort.

Death Toll Reaches 23

As search and rescue efforts continues 23 have been confirmed dead and hundreds still missing, according to the Solomon Islands National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
Food levels at the evacuation centres are at a critical low, according to reports NEOC has received.

Thousands Displaced by Floods

At the latest count today, 7,091 residents had been registered in nine of the evacuation centres in Honiara.
40,000 people in Guadalcanal and 12,000 in Honiara are estimated to have been affected, with many impacted communities experiencing food shortages.

15 Confirmed Dead in Solomon Islands Flood Disaster

15 have been confirmed dead, 30 missing and at least 7,000 homeless following torrential rain and flooding in the Solomon Islands, according to the Solomon Islands National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
He says the structural integrity of the bridge is now in question because of the erosion caused by the floods on both ends of the bridge.

New Mataniko Bridge Closed Off

The only bridge left standing, within the CBD area after the flash floods yesterday, has been blocked off by the police.
In what has been described as possibly the worst floods to have hit Honiara town, hundreds of families are now taking shelter at various evacuation centres in Honiara.

6 Confirmed Dead, 30 Missing

The police have confirmed to Solomon Times that 6 people have lost their lives due to the flash floods late yesterday afternoon, while at least 30 are still missing.
Floods have reached the Maranatha Hall, close to the lungga river area.

Homes Inundated by Heavy Rain

Homes have been inundated by heavy rain, one that has persisted for the past 36 hours.
"The sea is always unpredictable so it is important to always take precaution, even if rain and wind eases up later in the week.”

MET Warns Boat Owners

The MET division has warned boat owners to cancel all operations until the weather clears.
Other eyewitness reports state that others were also caught in the flood, but managed to swim to safety.

Heavy Downpour Claims Two Lives

Reports have stated that two people, a mother and her baby daughter, were killed after sudden flash floods swept through the Chinatown area, washing away the old Chinatown Bridge.
The Solomon Islands have a population of 549,600. It is an example of the kind of event that could come to “threaten the habitability of low-lying islands” in the future, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

US$9.1M World Bank Grant for Adaptation Efforts

Efforts to prepare the Solomon Islands for the impacts of climate change have received a US$9.1 million boost from the World Bank. The money will go help set up early warning systems to alert people if an extreme weather event is about to hit, helping to save lives in the event of tsunamis or other natural hazards.

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