MATHEW Wale says Solomon Islands will continue to work closely with Australia on infrastructure financing while also engaging other partners, including the United States, as it pursues development priorities.
“We will be looking to Australia in those discussions, perhaps give us some good rates so we can build critical infrastructure and have sovereign control over them,” Wale said.
He said Solomon Islands is focused on job creation, infrastructure development, and increasing foreign receipts as part of its economic strategy.
“We have a core economic platform, part of our vision to create jobs in the Solomons, to bring more foreign receipts into our economy,” he said.
Wale also confirmed ongoing engagement with other development partners, including recent agreements with the United States and discussions around the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact arrangement.
At the same time, he acknowledged the 2022 security pact with China would be reviewed by Cabinet, alongside other agreements, noting a non-disclosure clause limits public access.
“There is a non-disclosure clause in it, so I couldn’t show it to you right away,” he said.
The discussions in Canberra also included support for disaster recovery and energy challenges.
Anthony Albanese confirmed Australia will provide $SBD200 million (Solomon Islands dollar equivalent) to support recovery from Cyclone Malar and help address ongoing energy issues.
Wale said rising fuel costs are placing pressure on the economy.
“The price of diesel especially continues to rise,” he said. “I checked this morning in Honiara, and it’s risen a few more Solomon dollars.”
The combined message from the visit was a reset in relations, with Solomon Islands seeking to strengthen ties with Australia while maintaining broader development partnerships.
