MINISTER for the Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC), Hon. Rexon Ramofafia expresses intent to pursue future Compact Agreement with the United States Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) following the signing of the USD2.3m (SBD19.2m) modification to the Solomon Islands Threshold Program (SITHP) Grant Agreement.
“Moving from a Threshold Programme to Compact agreement with MCC will further strengthen our partnership and if successful, a compact agreement could provide Solomon Islands with access to substantial grant-based financing to support our development priorities,” he explained.
However, we are also cognisant of the fact that Solomon Islands must meet the appropriate MCC requirements. Work towards this goal, Minister Ramofafia emphasized that MNPDC will continue to collaborate closely with MCC and its contractors who are working with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), and the Ministry of Forests and Research (MOFR), to implement the SITHP through the Accessing Land for Tourism Investment Facilitation (ALTIF) and Forest Value Enhancement Project (FOVEP).
“More importantly,” the Minister added, “MNPDC will focus on ensuring Solomon Islands meets the requirements of the MCC Scorecard, which is a critical requirement for consideration by MCC for a compact agreement.” This scorecard is dependent on the supply of independently assessed and verified data on various aspects of our country including on education, health, fighting corruption and gender equality. As such, MNPDC will also liaise closely with lines ministries responsible for these areas to ensure that appropriate national data are submitted to relevant international organizations which MCC draws from to conduct their analysis.
Minister Ramofafia concluded by reaffirming the SIG’s commitment to maximizing the benefits of the Threshold Program and working diligently towards qualifying for a compact agreement with MCC.
