BY DR JAMES AUTO
The Solomon Islands can achieve recovery and growth through disciplined governance and bold reforms over the next decade. The following proposed roadmap, am sure is known by the Govt and many Solomon Islanders, but our leaders and we as people must program a timeline to emphasise the following:
𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Secure large concessional loans (from US, Australia, China, or EU) for farm-to-market roads, inter-island shipping, ports, renewable energy, and digital connectivity. Focus on productive infrastructure, not prestige projects like Pacific Games stadium
𝟐. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Develop agro-processing (cocoa, coconut oil, kava, cassava), fisheries (tuna fleet and Bina Harbour), and niche manufacturing (furniture, building materials, bottled water, solar assembly).
𝟑. 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦
Modernize farming with mechanization, irrigation, co-ops, storage, and export certification. Target high-value crops like cocoa, coconut, cassava, vanilla, spices, taro, and seaweed. Cassava will see Global World market of US$220 billion, let’s aim for at least US$1 billion, Sape farm is on the correct path
𝟒. 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚
Listen Malaitans, enough forbidding your lands from developments. Resolve disputes through mapping, mediation, and revenue-sharing. Protect investor rights and unlock Malaita as a hub for agriculture, fisheries, and SMEs.
𝟓. 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲
Audit payroll, remove ghost workers, digitize tax/revenue collection, reform procurement, and enforce anti-corruption. Consider short-term austerity if necessary.
𝟔. 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞
Establish medium-term budgeting, a stabilization/sovereign wealth fund (PM had this already in mind), stronger tax compliance, customs modernisation, and realistic spending priorities.
𝟕. 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
When productivity and export growth improves in 5-10 years then devalue the Solomon Islands dollar by 3%— i.e., devalue by the same revaluation percentage that was done by Honourable GDL in 2011.
𝟖. 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
Value all assets (land, buildings, natural resources) to strengthen policy, debt planning, and capital protection. UK did this after WWII where they valued every last building standing, every hill or mountain, valley, river, rock (i.e., better valuation of GDP)
𝟏𝟎-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧
1. Fix governance leakage
2. Build power, roads, and ports
3. Expand fisheries making use of our huge EEZ
4. Grow agro-processing industries
5. Reform land tenure with protections
6. Invest in skills and TVET – free education as spoken of by PM but also make education compulsory; impound parents who do not send their children to school; build schools
7. Develop renewable energy, hydroelectricity, solar, wind in our islands. Oil is getting expensive.
8. Develop digital economy
9. Implement natural capital accounting as UK did after WWII
10. Enforce debt discipline and stabilisation fund
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬:
1. Singapore: Port development despite no resources
2. Botswana: Fiscal discipline, sovereign wealth fund
3. Vietnam: Land reform, agriculture, manufacturing exports
4. Mauritius: Diversification beyond sugar industry
5. Rwanda: Anti-corruption, roads, tourism
6. Indonesia: Shipping, ports, fisheries
7. Fiji: Tourism, sugar, education hub
8. Norway: Oil wealth managed via sovereign wealth fund
9. South Korea: Export manufacturing, shipbuilding (Langalanga ship-building must restart, no longer just talk about it). South Korea designed its education system to massively increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics to come out with graduates for industrialisation!
Let’s 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐒$ 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, and we go for broke or we come out successful indeed. In this regard, PM Wale can emulate Prime Minister James Marape who just this month of May 2026 finalised with EU and European partners an €25.6 million (approx. K125 million) budget-support grant for climate resilience, water access, and governance, along with over K400 million in joint European and French financial backing to redevelop the Rabaul Port.
If a loan is not possible then we seek aid from some beneficiary countries and be prepared to give one island as collateral; I remember some Guadalcanal leaders tried doing this in past! We may have misjudged their foresight then!
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐢 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐚 𝐛𝐚! 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝! 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬!
