Infrastructure Program to focus on four key areas: PM

THE Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) will focus on four key outcome areas during its 10 years of operation.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare highlighted this when delivering his speech at the signing of the SIIP today.

The signing took place at the Office of the Prime Minister & Cabinet (OPMC) by the Minister of Planning and Development Coordination Hon Rexon Ramofafia and the Australian High Commissioner His Excellency Dr Lachlan Strahan.

The Prime Minister outlined the four key outcomes as follows;

1. Support Infrastructure Policy development – SIIP will support the development and implementation of appropriate and effective infrastructure policies, plans, regulations. These will include safeguards and opportunities to integrate climate change and disaster resilience planning, and environmental management, gender equality, disability, and social inclusion.

• Building national capability – SIIP will focus on enhancing knowledge, partnerships, systems and the capacity of government, local industry, and community stakeholders to build quality, life-cycle-informed, and inclusive infrastructure.

• Provide both direct and leveraging financing – SIIP will provide a platform for direct financing of priority SIG projects. It also provides an important platform to leverage additional financing to co-finance important SIG infrastructure priorities for inclusive economic infrastructure development, including from the private sector, Multilateral Development Banks, and in particular, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

• Undertake construction – SIIP will deliver high priority and high quality, inclusive, infrastructure on time and on budget.

The Prime Minister said these four key outcome areas are complementary.

“They ensure SIIP takes a holistic and inclusive approach to improving quality of and access to infrastructure in Solomon Islands,” he said.

He said whilst focussing on economic infrastructure and infrastructure that supports rural development, the SIIP aligns strongly with the Government’s Redirection Policy.

“The key objective is to stimulate economic growth and diversify the economy even during this period of COVID-19 pandemic,” Prime Minister Sogavare said.

ENDS//

OPMC PRESS