Hon. Rexon Ramofafia reaffirmed Solomon Islands commitment to EITI.

Brussels, Belgium – 9 October 2026, – The Solomon Islands Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and responsible management of the country’s mineral resources following its formal return to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Speaking at the 2026 EITI Global Conference in Brussels, Belgium via a video message, Hon. Rexon Ramofafia, the Minister of Finance and Treasury highlighted the importance of establishing strong governance arrangements as the country’s mining sector enters a period of significant growth.

“When a country discovers greater mineral wealth, the real measure of success is not how much is extracted from the ground – but how much lasting value it creates for its people.”

The Minister said Solomon Islands is entering a new chapter, with the mining sector expanding, particularly in gold and nickel. Increasing production and exports are expected to create opportunities for economic growth, government revenue, investment and employment.

However, he stressed that these opportunities must be matched by strong governance and accountability.

The Government’s objective is to ensure that natural resources are developed under clear rules, revenues are properly collected, agreements and licences are transparent, and communities have access to information about decisions affecting their resources.

“We do not want transparency after the decisions have been made. We want transparency to strengthen the decisions themselves,” the Minister said.

The Government views EITI as an important mechanism for bringing government, companies and civil society together to build a shared understanding of the extractive sector. This includes greater transparency around licences and contracts, production and exports, company ownership, payments and government revenues, as well as the social and environmental dimensions of resource development.

The Minister emphasised that Solomon Islands’ EITI implementation will not be limited to producing reports. Instead, the Government’s ambition is to build a stronger system of resource governance, improve the quality and accessibility of information, strengthen revenue collection and management, and provide greater clarity about who owns and benefits from companies operating in the extractive sector.

Recent EITI work has already identified areas where systems can be strengthened, including the reliability of production and export information, revenue verification, legal frameworks for disclosure, beneficial ownership, and transparency of licences and contracts.

The Minister noted that the timing of Solomon Islands’ return to EITI is particularly important as the mining sector becomes increasingly significant to the national economy.

“We are putting the transparency foundations in place while the sector is growing – not after the growth has already taken place.”

The Government also recognises that successful EITI implementation will require a genuine partnership among government, industry, civil society and communities. Transparency, the Minister said, must ultimately contribute to better understanding, meaningful dialogue and better decisions.

As Minister of Finance and Treasury, he also highlighted the role of EITI in strengthening public financial management and ensuring that revenues generated from natural resources are managed transparently and responsibly

Solomon Islands was formally welcomed back as an EITI implementing country on 16 September 2026, becoming the 56th EITI implementing country globally and the sixth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Government’s broader objective is for mineral wealth to contribute to roads, schools, health services, livelihoods, jobs and opportunities, while supporting sustainable development beyond the life of individual mining projects.

The Minister concluded by reaffirming that Solomon Islands’ return to EITI is intended to build trust, strengthen institutions, improve the quality of information available to the public, and ensure that the development of mineral resources contributes to sustainable and inclusive national development.

“We look forward to working together to make our EITI implementation not simply a commitment on paper, but a practical instrument for better governance and better outcomes for our people.”

The Solomon Islands Government expressed its appreciation to the EITI International Secretariat, development partners, industry, civil society and all Solomon Islanders who have contributed to the country’s renewed EITI process.

On 16 September 2026, Solomon Islands was formally welcomed back as an EITI implementing country – the 56th country in the world and the sixth in the Asia-Pacific region. For us, this is more than a return to an international initiative. It is a renewed national commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible management of our natural resources.

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For more information, contact Mr. David Dennis, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Treasury on Ph. 21058, Email: David.Dennis@mof.gov.sb