Small Malaita Constituency CDF-funded road project progressing well
The Small Malaita Constituency Road Project is progressing well with the completion of the Paeni to Waloa’a segment.
Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Terry Brown Honimae reports that almost 50 percent of the civil work has been completed.
He stated that despite some challenges faced by the construction team on the ground, work is progressing steadily.
“Challenges that slowed down our operations include bad weather, machinery breakdowns, social events such as funerals, and other cultural and church obligations. Despite these challenges, the team managed to complete the road segment from Paeni to Waloa’a,” CDO Honimae said.
Mr. Honimae added that their construction team is expected to start on the final segment from Waloa’a to Roone once all formalities are completed next week.
On behalf of the Honourable Rick Nelson Houenipwela, CDO Honimae expressed gratitude to the landowners for their generosity and cooperation in allowing the use of their land and resources for the road infrastructure project, which will greatly benefit the entire constituency.
He also acknowledged the valuable contributions from the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) under the CDF program, reflecting the government’s commitment to the infrastructure development of rural constituencies.
The constituency office officially launched Phase II of its Road Infrastructure Program on July 9th, 2025, at Ou’oumatawa, Small Malaita.
This milestone was made possible through the active involvement of the Member of Parliament for SMC, Honourable Houenipwela.
CDO Honimae earlier explained that the original Phase 2 road project, which aimed to connect Rorongo to Tawaro in Asimeuri Ward was not completed due to land issues. This forced the constituency office to re-focus on a new road segment from Mwenio’a to Ro’one, marking a significant effort to develop infrastructure in Asimeuri Ward.
The primary goal of SMC’s development plan is to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of rural communities by providing access to government services and creating an enabling environment for economic opportunities.
Communities that are already connected to the road network include Ou’oumatawa, Tapa’atewa, Ruru’uhe, and Rorongo, which now have direct access to Matangasi Port. This is a major achievement for the constituency office under the leadership of Honourable Hou, as villagers can now travel and transport goods by motor vehicle from the seaport to their homes and vice versa.
The road project was constructed by a team directly employed by the Constituency Development Office, in accordance with Section 17 of the CDF Act 2023.
The SMC Road Infrastructure Project dates back to 2012, beginning with land consultations, public awareness campaigns, and mobilization of project teams. Technical work, including surveys, scoping, design, costing, and procurement of machinery, started from 2015 to 2016, with actual construction beginning in mid-2017. To date, the constituency has invested over SBD$20 million in the project, including works and machinery.
CDF is a national program of the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), administered by MRD and implemented across 50 constituencies to improve the social and economic livelihoods of all Solomon Islanders.
The Ministry of Rural Development’s vision is to empower all Solomon Islanders for self-sufficiency, improved livelihoods, and sustainable development.
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-MRD Press Release