BY NED GAGAHE
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has urged a break from the cycle of “business as usual,” calling for focused investments, disciplined prioritisation, and urgent economic transformation as the country implements the newly passed 2026 budget.
Speaking in Parliament last week, PM Manele said the government is determined to scale up proven initiatives, diversify the economy, and deliver meaningful results for Solomon Islanders, even amid competing national priorities.
“The clarity in our policy focus and our commitment to transformation helped us make the allocations captured in the budget estimates,” he told Parliament.
He acknowledged that progress may not be immediate but said that achieving change requires time, discipline, vigilance, and commitment to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities in the medium term.
According to PM Manele, the Government of National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) has defined clear priorities underpinning the 2026 budget and the next three years:
- Building economic resilience through diversification
- Investing in transformative infrastructure
- Improving delivery of public services to all Solomon Islanders
- Promoting peace, unity, and security
- Strengthening fiscal stability in the medium to long term
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of this “break from the past” as the country prepares for several historic milestones: the 2025–2028 general elections, the 50th anniversary of independence, and Solomon Islands’ graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2027.
“The 2026 budget is designed to achieve meaningful developments in commemoration of our nation’s 50th year of independence and sovereignty, and to ensure we sustain our graduation from LDC status,” PM Manele said.
He called on government agencies, partners, and Solomon Islanders to support the budget’s implementation as the nation charts a path toward sustainable growth, transformation, and national unity.
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