Australia's assistance to Solomon Islands contributes directly to enhancing Solomon Islands' inclusive economic growth, infrastructure and job creation. These are all priorities of the Solomon Islands Government.

Australia will focus investments on:

• Infrastructure: Investment in high quality, climate-resilient infrastructure supports economic growth, and improved access to essential services.
• Private sector: Increase in business activity, trade, agricultural production and connection to supply chains for more diverse livelihoods.
• Skills and jobs: Enhanced tertiary and vocational opportunities will allow Solomon Islanders, especially youth and women, to access more economic opportunities including labour mobility.

We will strengthen our focus on investing in high-quality climate resilient infrastructure. Our infrastructure investments support economic growth, connectivity and local jobs in every province, strengthening communities and providing new social and economic opportunities to Solomon Islanders. Our bilateral infrastructure investments, including the Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) and are supported by projects funded under The Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), as well as through our contributions to the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

We will continue to create inclusive jobs for Solomon Islanders through our partnerships with the private sector, including though Strongim Bisnis – Phase 3 and our labour mobility, skills and training programs, as well as our focus on using local labour and companies in our infrastructure projects. We will continue open access to Australian markets free of tariffs and quotas - through the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) free trade agreement.

Our partnerships in agriculture, biosecurity and customs, and work to grow private sector's capabilities, will help to increase Solomon Islands' ability to trade with Australia and the rest of the world. We will continue to assist local companies to meet international requirements, such as food safety and organic certification, to help boost exports, including through Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus). The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also has a long-running program in supporting the agricultural sector in Solomon Islands.

We will expand our support for technical and vocational education and training and to enable Solomon Islanders to fill enhanced job opportunities – including through our bilateral program and the Australia Pacific Training Coalition, Australia Awards in Solomon Islands and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

We will provide further budget support and technical assistance to support Solomon Islands Government to address its fiscal pressures and progress economic reforms.

Supporting key investments

Strongim Bisnis – Phase 3

Up to $18 million, 2023-2026

Strongim Bisnis is Australia's flagship private sector development program in Solomon Islands, delivered in partnership with private sector actors, civil society organisations and government agencies. It has a strong track record of increasing incomes, generating new jobs, leveraging new private sector investments and expanding sales of value-added products locally and overseas, including in agriculture and tourism. It has worked across seven sectors: cocoa, coconut, tourism, financial services, timber, horticulture, and waste management. This third phase will help business in target sectors increase sales and profits to increase employment and household incomes with a focus on women, youth and people with disability and increasing labour force participation rates. It supports local partners to assess climate risk and to develop risk management strategies, as well as to adopt more environmentally sustainable and less carbon intensive production processes.

Related documents

Tina River Hydropower Development Project

$72 million, 2016 – 2028 (expected total Australian contribution)

Australia is contributing $72 million of the total expected $490 million cost of the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP) alongside a range of financing partners including the Asian Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund, Korea EX-IM Development Corporation, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the World Bank (the project lead). TRHDP is a 15MW hydropower facility to be constructed southeast of Honiara on the Tina River. On completion, it will meet 100 per cent of Solomon Islands international commitment for emissions reduction under the Paris Agreement and supply almost two-thirds of Honiara's energy demands. The scale of this project, Australia's largest climate finance investment in the Pacific, will transform the energy landscape in Solomon Islands which currently has the world's most expensive electricity costs.

Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP)

Up to $250 million, 2021 – 2030

Australia's 10-year $250 million Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) is a key vehicle for promoting economic growth and increasing employment in Solomon Islands. Australia's infrastructure investments are transparent, meet genuine development needs, deliver long-term economic benefits, and avoid unsustainable debt burdens. SIIP is delivering inclusive, resilient, high quality economic infrastructure throughout Solomon Islands, with current activities including the new Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre in East Honiara and construction of 10 new markets across Solomon Islands modelled on the highly successful Gizo market project. SIIP also provides technical advice, training and skills development to assist the Solomon Islands Government to better plan, finance, manage and deliver high-quality infrastructure.

Global, Regional and Other Australian Government Programs

In addition to the programs above, the Australian Government delivers the following regional, multilateral, and global initiatives in the Solomon Islands that support this objective.

• Australia Awards in Solomon Islands
• Australia Pacific Training Coalition
• Australian Volunteers Program
• Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus)
• Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme
• Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership
• Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus)
• The Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP)