BY JOY OFASIA
Australia is helping to build a stronger and more professional accounting sector in Solomon Islands.
Speaking at the Institute of Solomon Islands Accountants (ISIA) Annual Congress 2025 in Honiara, Australia’s Acting Deputy High Commissioner, Ms Emily Clark, said Australia is proud to support the country’s financial and accounting systems.
“Australia is working to help the Solomon Islands Government become more accountable and responsive to its people,” Ms Clark said.
She said this is being done through the Solomon Islands Australia Governance Partnership, which supports training, technical help, and system upgrades for better budgeting and revenue collection.
“These reforms are not just technical—they’re meant to improve public trust and help deliver better services to the people,” she explained.
Ms Clark said Australia is working closely with ISIA because the accounting sector is key to building a stronger economy.
“Accounting helps attract investment, improve financial management, and grow businesses,” she said.
She also praised ISIA for promoting professionalism and ethical standards among accountants in the country.
“ISIA plays a vital role in making sure accountants in Solomon Islands do their jobs with honesty and professionalism,” Ms Clark said.
To support this, Australia has funded the development of the Professional Diploma in Accounting (PDA). This program helps Solomon Islanders gain practical accounting skills.
“A third group of students is now completing their diplomas, which is great to see,” she said. “Australia wants to make sure that accountants in this lovely country have access to the training they need.”
So far, Australia has funded 116 scholarships for the PDA program—most of them going to public servants. Ms Clark shared that many government ministries have already seen the benefits of these trained professionals.
“We’ve heard great feedback from ministries about how these new skills are making a real difference,” she said.
She ended by announcing that Australia will continue funding scholarships for the next group of PDA students.
“We are happy to continue supporting this important work,” she said.
