Pacific / Solomon Islands

Solomons' to seek donor help with infrastructure projects

15:48 pm on 18 August 2016

The Solomon Islands government will seek donor financing help to build the Tina Hydro and the Under Sea Internet cable projects next year.

The Minister of Finance, Snyder Rini, has launched the 2017 budget preparation process which will include restraints on wage increases for public servants.

Both infrastructure projects are expected to brings immediate and long term boosts to the economy.

Tina River in Solomon Islands. Photo: Tina River Hydro Project

The World Bank has estimated the under sea cable will add 1 percent of economic growth for each of the first five years of its operation.

Mr Rini said for such large investment projects that bring sustained economic growth opportunities, the government will seek concessional debt financing.

The country's payroll has been growing at a rate of 10 percent a year and the Ministry of Finance is to work closely with the Ministry of Public Service to control this.

Wage spending is to be capped and measures include a temporary freeze on recruitment.