SICCI, businesses meet with Australian Foreign Minister

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne during her visit to the country last week. The Foreign Minister also took the opportunity to engage with the private sector in Solomon Islands. PHOTO Credit: Australian High Commission via facebook.

The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), as the peak body representing private sector in country, was invited along with business heads to a lunch meeting with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Wednesday 6th February 2019 at the Mendana Hotel in Honiara.

This was an opportunity for the Foreign Minister to engage with the private sector in the country.

SICCI was represented at the meeting by Chairman to the Board, Mr Jay Bartlett as well as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ms Atenasi Ata.

The lunch meeting was also attended by a cross-section of Solomon Islands businesses.

SICCI CEO, Ms Ata said discussions also highlighted the ongoing support by the Australian Government in training for employment and in providing jobs such as through the seasonal worker schemes.

SOE, private sector representatives and SICCI used the occasion to give the Foreign Minister a better insight into the broad economic context of Solomon Islands, and a number of future growth sectors were discussed focusing on tourism and agriculture. The group also discussed the potential business and social impacts of the Coral Sea Cable system project.

SICCI Chairman, Mr Bartlett affirmed the Chamber’s vision of private sector being a valued partner for development by Government, highlighting the potential of a more collaborative approach.

“Private sector and businesses particularly in their dealings with Government have a long way to go yet to being regarded in a positive light and therefore a default partner to be actively consulted on policy matters impacting on business.

“With the substantial revenue that private sector provides for Government coffers, we are promoting the message that we too have stakes in this development agenda of the country,” Mr Bartlett said.

He said SICCI seeks to promote that enabling the private sector to grow, translates to the higher potential for more jobs, and of course more revenue for Government.

“This remains our key objective in all our dealings with the Government.”

Foreign Minister Payne acknowledged the meeting as an opportunity to gain insights on the business environment in the Solomon Islands.

“You can read all the reports but there is nothing like meeting the businesses and hearing about experiences first hand,” Foreign Minister Payne said.

The main purpose of Minister Payne’s visit to the Solomon Islands was to inaugurate the Coral Sea Cable System project marked by a ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday 5th February with the Caretaker Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela.

The project will result in the installment of a submarine fiber optic cable that will link Sydney to Honiara covering a distance of over 4,700 kilometres.

Manufacture of the cable is currently underway in France, survey of the sea-bed is complete and installation of the cable will take place from June, with the cable scheduled to be ready for service in December 2019.

The Australian Government will also support the construction of a Solomon Islands domestic network with landing in sites of Auki, Taro and Noro.