by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer
Australia has made a commitment to provide support for road infrastructure in the Malaita province of the Solomon Islands.
The Australian High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, Rod Hilton, along with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the South Road Rehabilitation Project.
The South Road is the primary land route for communities in South Malaita, but currently, it can only be navigated by four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Australia has pledged to offer crucial infrastructure assistance to ensure that the Malaita South Road becomes more reliable and resilient to climate impacts.
Emergency repairs totaling US$1.3 million are underway, while plans for the longer-term rehabilitation of the road are being developed.
Prime Minister Manele of the Solomon Islands announced that the process of sealing roads in the provincial capital of Auki in Malaita will commence shortly.
During his first visit to Malaita since assuming office in May, Manele expressed that enhanced infrastructure could drive economic development.
According to In-Depth Solomons, China signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solomon Islands government in October last year to fund the project.
Malaita province, which has the largest population in the Solomon Islands, relies on a network of unpaved roads for transportation.
