Pacific / Solomon Islands

Anti-Corruption Strategy before Solomon Parliament

18:43 pm on 6 March 2017

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare today presented to the Parliament his country's National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Photo: RNZI Koroi Hawkins

Earlier this year prime minister Sogavare described the strategy as a precursor to several pieces of proposed anti-corruption legislation including the Whistle Blowers Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill.

Mr Sogavare has managed to pass several pieces of anti-corruption legislation including the Ombudsman Act and the Leadership Code Act but other proposed laws which aim to strengthen anti-corruption work in the country seem to have stalled.

The chairperson of Transparency Solomon Islands Ruth Liloqula recently said she believed this was because the majority of MPs within Mr Sogavare's own government did not support the establishment of protections for whistleblowers or an Indepdent Commission Against Corruption.

Ms Liloqula said she had it from a reliable source that the bills had been effectively shelved and might never be passed.

However prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has insisted that agreeing on a National Anti-Corruption Strategy would pave the way for future anti-corruption laws.