Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele MP, this afternoon convened an important meeting with Chairpersons, Chief Executive Officers, and senior management of key State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including Solomon Power, Solomon Water, and Solomon Telekom, to urgently address the Governmentโs responsibilities in progressing the Auki Road Project.
Prime Minister Manele emphasized in the strongest terms that the Auki Road Project is currently the Governmentโs most important infrastructure undertaking in Malaita Province. It complements the four recently completed bridges that were handed over last week, and the Kiluโufi hospital upgrade project that is nearing completion.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the project must be completed within the revised timeframe of December 2026.
He cautioned that any delays beyond this deadline would result in the financial burden of completing the project falling solely on the Solomon Islands Government.
Prime Minister Manele stressed the importance of reaching clear agreement on an implementation schedule for all works to be undertaken by each of the three SOEs to relocate their infrastructure assets and equipment along sections of the Auki Road under development.
He noted with concern that, despite extensive prior consultations between SOEs, contractors, and government ministries, there has been insufficient visible progress on the ground.
Prime Minister Manele further revealed that the project donor conveys serious concerns regarding delays in implementing SIGโs contributions to the project, which have affected the overall project timeline.
He stressed the need for immediate and decisive action to restore confidence and maintain the integrity of the partnership.
The Prime Minister clarified that the governmentโs financial responsibility would be limited to the relocation costs, not infrastructure upgrades. He noted that upgrade costs are part of
modernisation by the utilities of their infrastructures and equipment. The SOEs had already submitted their costs for the work scope to the respective lead ministries and MID.
Given the limited timeframe, he urged the SOEs to prioritize relocation works, noting that a maximum period of six weeks is available to complete this critical component.
Prime Minister Manele outlined, key outcomes for the meeting include- [i] Agreement on a firm implementation schedule to complete all relocation works by 22 May 2026; [ii] Consensus on the actual costs required to deliver relocation within the set timeframe; [iii] Clear delineation of financing responsibilities between SIG and each SOE, and [iv] Agreement for SOEs to pre-finance the relocation works, with SIG to have an arrangement to reimburse eligible costs prior to project handover.
The Prime Minister calls for collective action among the SOEs and lead government Ministries.
He asked the three SOE Boards and management to undertake joint leadership and coordination in delivering on their respective responsibilities.
He reiterated that the Auki Road Project falls under the Infrastructure Development pillar of GNUT, as it improves roads and transport systems. It also supports Economic Transformation by boosting trade and movement, and indirectly contributes to Human Capital Development through better access to services like health and education.
The Chairpersons and management of the three SOEs expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for his invitation and following the information relating to the willingness by the government for some cost sharing, all three SOEs committed to utilise their own resources first to fast-track implementation while working on the details of the financing partnerships with government.
The meeting agreed to target the signing of the MOU between SIG and the three SOEs by Friday this week to enable work to proceed from Monday next week, on the understanding that most of the relocation of equipment that are in the current road coverage areas need to be relocated safely by 22 May 2026.
All three SOEs agreed to work together, making joint use of resources where opportunity presented to ensure they support each other in executing their respective roles on the Auki Roads project.
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[PMO Press]
