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The Solomon Islands is leading the Pacific region in its successful reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), according to a PSDI report presented in Honiara today. The report, Finding Balance 2014: Benchmarking the Performance of State Owned Enterprises in Island Countries[http://bit.ly/1tbIY0V], shows that in the last 5 years the Government of the Solomon Islands has overseen a 21% turnaround in return on equity from SOEs, turning an average loss of 11% between 2002-2009 into...
PSDI is deepening its re-engagement with Fiji, partnering with the government to improve access to credit and to secure a stronger financial sector through secured transactions reform. Following meetings in January with Fiji’s Attorney-General and Minister for Finance Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, PSDI will assist the new Secured Transactions Reform Taskforce which held its inaugural meeting here today. The taskforce, which PSDI will assist, brings together representatives from banks, credit unions, microfinance...
The demand for skilled company directors in Solomon Islands is matched only by the need that they be fully aware of their duties, liabilities, and responsibilities. Now, a group of enthusiastic Solomon Islands executives, mostly women, have praised a course in Corporate Governance and Management, conducted over the past six months by the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) and the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI). “I came here to...
Advances in the business environment in several Pacific island countries mark 2014 as a year of achievement for PSDI, according to the latest Progress Report for the regional technical assistance facility released today. New online business registries in Tonga[http://www.adb.org/news/tonga-s-innovative-online-business-registry-goes-live-adb], landmark legislation on public–private partnerships (PPPs) in Papua New Guinea[http://www.adb.org/news/adb-welcomes-new-public-private-partnership-act-png], and the establishment of pilots to economically empower women[http://www.adbpsdi.org/2014/05/solomons-solar-maintenance-pilot-kicks.html] in four Pacific countries, are among the highlights documented in PSDI’s seventh Progress Report[file:///C:/Users/m7h/Dropbox/ADB/01.Projects/Progress%20Report%202013-14/Progress%20Report%20link], which covers the reporting period July...
*Speech (abridged) by Peter Dirou, PSDI Senior Financial Sector Expert at the 29th South Pacific Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, Suva, 3–4 December 2014* --- Thank you Governor Whiteside, Governors and other participants... and special thanks to all involved at the Reserve Bank of Fiji for their hospitality and organisational efforts. The substance of (my) presentation arises from the work PSDI has been doing in the Pacific, often with your banks, and from the personal discussions I have had...
The Government of the Kingdom of Tonga launched the region’s first integrated online business registry today, providing up-to-date information on Tongan companies and businesses to the public 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. The site was launched by Mrs. Vaimoana Fakatulolo, CEO of Tonga’s Ministry of Commerce, Tourism & Labour, at a ceremony attended by representatives of the private sector and supporting development partners including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the governments of...