Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs

Constituency: Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province

Contact Address:

Ministry of Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs
P.O. Box G1
Honiara
Solomon Islands.
Phone: +677 28563

Parliamentary Service

• Elected to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands for Central Kwara’ae on 6 August 1997. Re-elected on 5 December 2001 and 5 April 2006.
• Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands from 20 December 2001 to 3 January 2005.

Parliamentary Committee Appointments

• Member, Public Accounts Committee from 10 May 2007 to 21 December 2007
• Member, Bills and Legislation Committee from 13 July 2007 to 21 December 2007
• Chair, Parliamentary House Committee from 15 February 2002 to 3 February 2005
• Member, Public Accounts Committee from 19 March 2001 to 6 August 2001.

Ministerial Appointments

• Deputy Prime Minister Ministry of Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs from 21 December 2007 to present
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Planning and Aid Coordination from 21 April 2006 to 4 May 2006.
• Minister for National Planning and Aid Coordination from 4 February 2005 to 4 April 2006.
• Minister for Development and Planning from 29 September 1997 to 5 June 2000.

Qualification

• Masters in Business Administration, University of the South Pacific.
• Bachelor of Arts (Accounting and Economics), University of the South Pacific.       

Occupation before entering Parliament

• Provincial Secretary of Malaita Province.
• Chief Commercial Officer, Corporate Division, Ministry of Commerce & Primary Industries.
• Accountant Trainee, Development Bank of Solomon Islands.

Conferences, Delegations and Visits

• Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC) Biennial Conference, Canberra, Australia, April 2007.
• Presented a paper on “Population and Development Issues in Solomon Islands” at the Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, USA February 2000.
• Post-Forum Dialogue Meeting, Republic of Palau, October 1999.
• High-Level Talks with Australian Government Official delegation, Brisbane, Australia, June 1999.
• Presented a paper on “Population and Development Issues in Solomon Islands”
• Hague Conference, Netherlands from 6th to 17th February 1999.
• IMF/World Bank Regional Seminar on “Economic Reforms in the Pacific” at Apia, Samoa from 30th January to 6th February 1999.
• Post-Forum Dialogue Meeting, Pompeii, Federated States of Micronesia, August 1998.
• 61st Session of ESCAP meeting in Bangkok, June 1998.
• African, Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Heads of Government Summit in Gabon, Republic of Gabon, October 1997.
• Post-Forum Dialogue Meeting, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, September 1997.
• European Commission/African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Personal

• Date of birth: 10 October 1962
• Village/ Home Island: Arabala Village, Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province