The Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC) successfully concluded the second Solomon Islands National Infrastructure Investment Plan (SINIIP) workshop to review and prioritise infrastructure projects and ensure investments are aligned with national development goals.
The workshop was held over two sessions. The first on October 21 and the second on October 23, building on from the initial national SINIIP workshop that was held in August this year.
MNPDC’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Brian Lenga, officially opened the workshop during its first session.
Workshop participants included the SINIIP subcommittee members representing government infrastructure ministries, including the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC), Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC), Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), Ministry of Communication and Aviation (MCA), Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM).
The prioritisation process utilized a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) framework to help align projects with the economic, social and environmental objectives of the National Development Strategy (NDS) and other key factors.
The subcommittee members reviewed the unfunded infrastructure projects, assessed their relative impact (using MCA) and voted on the next wave of priority projects for development partner funding consideration.
The enhanced SINIIP process provides a more transparent and evidence-based approach to prioritising the country’s infrastructure projects to deliver long term benefits to the people, communities and the nation.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Lenga thanked development partners and the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) for their ongoing financial and technical support in strengthening the SINIIP process.
“Your partnership has been instrumental in helping us enhance infrastructure planning, coordination and reporting systems, while also building the capacity of our staff,” Mr. Lenga said.
Mr. Lenga said it is critical that the country’s infrastructure investments contribute towards growing the economy and support a more connected, resilient and inclusive Solomon Islands.
