Today the Didao Refilling Station along the Prince Phillip highway took delivery of four new fuel bouwzers. They replaced the older ones used by the refilling station.

Finally it is over, after a month/ the chronic power cuts that have been plaguing Honiara has now come to an end. SIEA workers today told One News that a generator problem that had been responsible for continuous power cuts in the capital had finally been fixed. The power cuts had caused frustration for many companies who were affected by the  frequent power black outs.

The Chamber of Commerce recently brought in a business consultant to assist the chamber with its yearly plan. The business consultant is Ben Barnett a volunteer from Australia who will end his contract at the end of this month.

2009 has proven to be a historical year for our national carrier, Solomon Airlines. The airline last year made a profit for the first time in many years. The announcement was made by the Chairman of Solomon Airlines Board of Directors Bill Taylor on Friday.

The two dash 8 aircraft brought in by Solair to assist in its provincial routes have reduced the burden on Solair’s fleet and improved the efficiency of the airlines provincial schedule. As re-fleeting is part of Sol Air’s long term development Plans, a new dash 8 is a very real option for the airline.

Solomon airlines Belama lounge which was opened last week was today officially launched by the by Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua. The lounge will cater for business class travelers and is part of the airlines move to increase range of services. The lounge will be available for use by Belama lounge members.

Businesses in Honiara over the past month have been suffering from chronic power cuts by the Solomon Islands Electricity Authority. This has cost businesses to lose jobs as well pay more to run generators.

In recent years Solomon Islands has seen a massive growth in the number of Papua New Guinea companies setting up business or carrying out work here in the country. One such company is Nawae Construction Limited – which has been contracted to install and maintain navigational lights around the country. But this company has a special Solomon Islands touch with five of our nationals employed by the company.

With the current economic situation facing the country even big companies are finding it hard to stay afloat. The countries only airline is planning to become the best service provider in the country

 The one News team caught up with workers from South Pacific Oil who worked throughout New Year to keep Solomon Islands fueled up and mobile.

 Club extreme will be offering free entry to the night spot until the first of January. As of January the club will be a member’s only club and any interested patrons will have to apply for membership. 

 Airstrips around the provinces need to be improved to accommodate the new Dash 8 aircraft. Solomon Airlines officials are calling on aviation authorities to make sure that airstrips are upgraded.

The presence of Papua New Guinea Company in the country is increasing, with the aim of developing the economy. More than thirty PNG companies are already been registered and successfully made huge contribution in the economy. The Papua New Guinea high commission office was delighted with the bilateral agreement PNG has with Solomon Islands on this investment.

As banks in Honiara are moving into installing ATM machines, Bank South Pacific are considering quality notes for their new 11 ATM machines. BSP says quality notes are only work well with ATM machines.
Members of the public are urged to properly handle their notes as banks move into ATM machines.

It’s been years now since, Bank south pacific established itself in the country and promised to install ATM machines. The Bank today said by next month 11 ATM machines will be up and running for BSP customers. Bank South Pacific Country Manager, Mark Cocoran says it is not a cheap operation to install this number of ATM machines in the country.

A major improvement in Honiara’s infrastructure will be a great boost to business activity in the capital Honiara. The Asian Development Bank today signed an agreement with the Solomon Islands government to fund the road project. Another major benefit of the planned reconstructions is the aim to ease the traffic congestion problem on Honiara’s roads.

Tourism has the potential to be a major contributor to the economy of Solomon Islands.
The latest ADB report acknowledges the positive growth of the industry in the pacific region amidst the world economic recession.
According to the Director of tourism Barney Sivoro provincial governments need to put in place relevant legislation to maximize this potential.

The HS tailoring training school has seen students attending the 6 months tailor training graduate with techniques and tailoring knowledge. More than sixty qualified tailors took part in today’s graduations ceremony.

Rice can be counted on as one of the most common factor in the diets of Solomon Islanders. But domestically there is no major rice farming to meet the demand of consumers.

Despite the Global Financial Crisis, its not all bad news for the economics of the Pacific Island countries, according to the latest ADB report.
The ADB says countries in the region have recovered well from the crisis although unemployment continues to be a major concern for most world economies.