SOLOMON ISLANDS ECONOMY DEPENDS ONLY ON 15% OF LAND
Hon. Andrew Manepora’a, Minister of Lands, Housing and Survey and MP for East Are’are. Photo credit: GCU.
Solomon Islands economy only depends on 15 percent of crown land in the country.
The Minister for Lands, Housing and Survey, Andrew Manepora’a confirmed this during his keynote address to officially launch the 2015 G’ Day Solomon Islands Great Debate in Honiara this week.
Minister Manepora’a says it is on this small portion of land resources that the national government is expected to deliver its mandated responsibilities and services.
This means about 85 percent of undeveloped land in the country still remains under customary land ownership.
Customary land disputes have for many years become the main cause of underdevelopment.
“Our economy, therefore, only depend on this 15 percent to sustain itself in order to provide all the basic essential services that we need for our existence while at the same time protect itself from internal and external economic shocks. 85 percent of the land, therefore, remains idle under customary land ownership, no development because of land disputes among landowners.”