HONIARA, Solomon Islands – The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) has extended its warmest congratulations to the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) on its 70th anniversary, while delivering a firm message on the need for aligned government policies to unlock the nation’s export potential and address economic imbalances.
Speaking at the 70th anniversary celebration of SIPA, SICCI Executive Officer James Dolarii commended the authority for its critical role in facilitating trade and national development over seven decades.
“On behalf of the private sector, it is very honourable to really congratulate SIPA on its 70th anniversary. The private sector, like the ports, has been here for beyond 70 years as well,” Mr. Dolarii said.
Reflecting on the day’s addresses from SIPA’s CEO and Chair, Mr. Dolarii underscored a vital message for Solomon Islands’ national development: “To really facilitate trade and develop the economy of Solomon Islands.”
While acknowledging SIPA’s essential role in enabling both imports and exports, Mr. Dolarii raised concerns about the country’s heavy reliance on imports—a persistent challenge for the private sector.
“We sometimes really completely depend on imports. That’s a challenge for the private sector. And it is not only the private sector that plays the role, but we need the government as well to really support how the private sector can utilise the existing facilities,” he stated.
Mr. Dolarii stressed that the private sector alone cannot drive export growth. He called for coherent government policies to move beyond primary exports and focus on downstream processing.
“We are not only focusing or relying on primary export, but we should focus on downstream as well. Again, we create modules for our Solomon Islands,” he said.
Citing recent graduation figures from Solomon Islands National University (SINU)—with more than a thousand graduates in March alone—Mr. Dolarii noted growing expectations on the private sector to create jobs. He emphasized that this requires a genuine partnership with the government.
“There is a lot of expectation from the private sector to really take up the graduates by creating more jobs. From the private sector, we feel that this is a call that needs a good partnership with the government to really drive more job creation, to fully utilise the facilities that are there,” he added.
CEO Dolarii also pointed to a worrying economic indicator: the need to fill containers for export.
“I think we import containers, but only a few are filled and saved by the government. That’s a reflection of the capacity and capability of Solomon Islanders in terms of the productive sector for export output. As a Solomon Islander, I think it’s a red flag for the economy going forward.”
Mr. Dolarii concluded by urging that government policies be realigned with the needs of the private sector, especially as SIPA continues to develop new port facilities.
“We have ports that already have new building facilities. When they’re finished, I think it’s a good time that we get government policies to align and focus on growing the export sector for Solomon Islanders.”
