Gov’t commits to fund CEMA’s 3 phases revitalisation strategy.

Approximately SBD$77m will be channelled through the Ministry of Commerce Industry Labour and Immigration, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Ministry of Infrastructure Development for the implementation of the seven year, 3-phase revitalisation strategy of the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA).

The CEMA Board and Management will be responsible for the implementation of the 3 phases.

The three- phases of implementation is to enable the CEMA to achieve its guiding principles sets out in the strategy for the seven-year period from 2021- 2027.

A recent statement by Director of the CEMA Cabinet subcommittee Mr. Martin Housanau said,

“The huge investments into the CEMA’s 7-year strategy is a fulfilment of our rural farmers wish to have easy access to markets, this was clearly expressed during our tours last year to the 4 Provincial buying centres – Noro, Kaonasughu, Malu’u and Lata.”

“Not only that, but the DCGA is bridging the gaps between farmers and markets, providing income for ordinary Solomon Islanders, and addressing issues of employment and empowerment,” he said.

The 3 phases of implementation include enhancing CEMA capacity and ability to improve its regulatory and trading functions, re-connecting its domestic, regional and international marketing network to re-engage in the purchasing, selling and exporting of all commodities listed under Schedule 1 of the CEMA Act 1984 and to consolidate and organise cluster rural farmers value chain according to exportable commodities.

The implementation of phase one is to motivate farmers to re-engage in farming of exportable commodities, increase quality production, and enhance CEMA’s image and competitiveness in the domestic, regional and international scene by 2022.

Phase 2 implementation is expected to re-establish and enhance CEMA’s marketing value chain from the rural farmers to domestic and export markets, improve food security for domestic consumption, and increase quality and volume of exportable commodities by 10% per annum equivalent to 5,000MT of copra and 500MT of cocoa by 2022 with other commodities to follow suit.

Phase 3 includes organising and forming cluster farmers in the Provinces and throughout the 50 constituencies, enhancing ability of farmers, buyers and exporters to downstream processing and manufacturing of all their commodities for domestic consumption and export markets.

“This is vital towards increasing manufacturing of quality exportable products that can yield a higher return to our rural farmers, improve the value and competitiveness of our currency, increasing GDP per capita, and foremost to sustain the economic growth of Solomon Islands in the medium to long term,” Housanau stated.

The Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement is fully committed to the implementation of its policy priorities in the interest of economic empowerment, national stability and wellbeing of its citizens.