Smiley Giobauta is new IFC Country Officer

Smiley Giobauta is the newly appointed International Finance Corporation (IFC) Country Officer for Solomon Islands

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has appointed Mr. Giobauta yesterday.

A statement from IFC said, Mr. Giobauta is now responsible for coordinating IFC’s program of investments and advisory services in Solomon Islands.

IFC’s Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands Thomas J. Jacobs said, “The investment and advisory work in Solomon Islands has helped bring the Tina River Hydropower Project to financial close, create jobs in the tuna industry, promote gender equality in businesses and had helped build up the tourism industry,”

He added, with the current global fall-out from COVID-19, Mr. Giobauta’s great professional experience and a deep knowledge of the country will be key to helping in expanding IFC’s work in Solomon Islands.

Based in Honiara, Mr. Giobauta also responsible for managing IFC’s relationship with the Solomon Islands government, donors and private sector representatives.

“I am keen to work closely with our many important stakeholders in this country, including business, the financial sector and government,” Giobauta said. The private sector has a huge role to play in helping to build our economy and create jobs and opportunities for Solomon Islanders.”

Giobauta spent 15 years at the Solomon Islands’ government’s Inland Revenue Division, subsequently managing Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu’s Solomon Islands Taxation and Business Services portfolios.

More recently he has worked as an independent consultant on infrastructure and energy projects with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank Group in Solomon Islands.

IFC, the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries, undertakes work in Solomon Islands, with the support of the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets.