Taipei sends naval vessels to Solomon Islands as switch to China looms

Prime Minister Sogavare and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Jeremiah Manele, have thanked Taipei for being friends and for assisting Solomon Islands over the last 35 years in speeches delivered during a goodwill visit from naval vessels sent from Taipei which were recently in Honiara. (Source: Solomon Star)

The Prime Minister skipped the opportunity to confirm its commitment to Taipei. The uncertainty over whether Solomon Islands establish diplomatic ties with China continues.

#thankunext

ADB keen to have more women own land

The President of the Asian Development Bank, speaking recently at its annual meeting in Fiji, highlighted several areas that ADB considered essential to economic development, among them being gender equality and women empowerment. A particular focus was on supporting a transformative gender agenda such as promoting women’s land title ownership which is a basis for women economic empowerment. (Source: Solomon Star)

It will be interesting to see how this translates locally, particularly with respect to customary land, which traditionally, has been dominated by men, who tend be the decision-makers and beneficiaries regarding commercial developments on customary land. The discourse around women’s ownership and decision-making in relation to customary land may need to change if ADB’s development goal is to be achieved. Increased advocacy by the usual development-aid partners may be required. Law reform is also a distant possibility.

#developmentaidindustrialcomplex

World Bank launches new program to end world poverty again

The World Bank has launched another program aimed at ‘helping’ ‘poor’ countries such as the Pacific Islands countries. The project is called the ‘Human Capital Project’, which is described as an ambitious global initiative to accelerate investments in people around the world. Part of the project includes a ‘Human Capital Index’, which measures the amount of human capital a child born today can expect to attain by the age of 18 given the quality of health and education in the country where he or she lives. Under the Index, a child born in the Solomon Islands today will only be 44 percent as productive when he or she grows up as would have been the case with optimal health and education services. According the World Bank, this Index will create the political space for national leaders to prioritise transformational human capital investments. (Source: Solomon Star)

Fortunately, the World Bank in identifying this ‘problem’ has also been able to come up with a ‘solution’ to address the problem. The solution will, of course, involve the Pacific Islands countries’ Governments ‘working together’ with the World Bank. The World Bank has worked in the Solomon Islands for many years and therefore has lots of ‘experience’ in the area of ‘eliminating poverty.’ Despite this, according to the World Bank’s own analysis, Solomon Islands remains a ‘poor’ country.

#developmentaidindustrialcomplex

CBSI to help banks give loans

The Solomon Islands Chambers of Commerce and Industry has teamed up with the Government and the Central Bank of Solomon Islands to come up with a scheme to help small businesses obtain loans from banks and credit providers. The scheme is targeted at small businesses that are unable to obtain loans due to not having assets to secure the loan. Under the scheme, CBSI will guarantee the loan. In the event the small business defaults on the loan, the banks and credit providers can claim their money from CBSI. (Source: Solomon Star)

There is certainly demand among small businesses to access credit to grow their business and this scheme responds to that demand. However, for every business venture that succeeds, many more are bound to fail. The commercial banks may have good reason for being risk adverse. It will be interesting to see how this scheme plays out and whether the Government has a contingency plan to handle the potential debt liability.

#allyourdebtsarebelongtous

New mining law soon

The DCGA Government is working on a new mining law, one that promises to promote economic development in an ‘environmentally sustainable’ manner. Prime Minister Sogavare acknowledged that Solomon Islands had been caught in a very ‘awkward situation’ recently over mining issues. (Source: Solomon Star)

Apparently, previous Governments were not able to prevent that ‘awkward situation’ from happening under the existing mining law. With logging expected to decline in the near future, mining is seen as the next big source of Government revenue. However, the minerals are located under customary land so accessing them may be difficult if customary landowners refuse to cooperate with the Government or the mining company. How the new mining law will overcome these problems will be interesting.

#dontworryimfromthegovernmentandimheretohelp

Commissioner of Lands reassures public of recent land resumption

The Commissioner of Lands has reassured the public and business who own land that they have nothing to fear about recent steps taken to resume land in Honiara. According to the Commissioner, that land was resumed because it was undeveloped, and since that land was undeveloped, no compensation was required to be paid. The Commissioner explained further that the Government would be obliged to pay compensation if it were to take back land that had been developed. Since the Government has ‘no money’ to pay compensation, it is unlikely to take back land that has been developed. (Source: Solomon Star)

Owners of fixed-term estates and leases may want to check that they are fully compliant with the development conditions of their estate or lease. The Commissioner has been quite active since his appointment. Don’t be surprised if more land is resumed or acquired by the Government.

#dontworryimfromthegovernmentandimheretohelp

New intellectual property laws coming soon?

Solomon Islands will soon join the World Intellectual Property Organisation, a United Nations body that “encourages” and “promotes” intellectual property rights. (Source: Solomon Star)

Pronouncements by various Government officials during the celebration of World Intellectual Property Day suggest that changes to laws relating to intellectual property may be coming soon. Whether there is a real demand for new intellectual property laws or whether this is simply Solomon Islands adopting “international best practices” is up for debate.

#copypaste

Solomon Islands warned to beware of China

A full page article was published in the Solomon Star newspaper in which an unidentified author praised democratic Taiwan and criticised communist China and encouraged Solomon Islanders and the Government to continue supporting Taiwan and to beware of China. (Source: Solomon Star)

The article follows a long line of pro-Taipei/anti-China articles in the media following the conclusion of the 2019 national general elections.The upsurge in these types of articles suggests that there is real concern by Taipei over whether the DCGA Government will establish diplomatic ties with China.

#astroturfing