Communities in Small Malaita Pledge Support for Road Infrastructure Development to Boost Connectivity and Economic Growth.
People of the Ueniuusu and Louatowa communities in Asimeuri Ward of Small Malaita Constituency have openly pledged their full support for the road infrastructure development in the constituency, a long-term development initiative initiated under the leadership of the Member of Parliament, Rick Hou.
The communities pledged their support during a recent visit by Hon. Hou at Roone Village, where he met with chiefs, tribal leaders, community leaders and residents to discuss key infrastructure priorities for the constituency.
Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Brown Honimae said the awareness program focused on the Constituency’s long-term infrastructure plans and development activities aimed at improving the livelihood of the people of Small Malaita.
“During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the ongoing road infrastructure project, which remains a key priority under the Constituency’s development agenda,” Mr Honimae said.
“As a clear demonstration of their commitment, tribal leaders and community representatives from Roone have signed a Letter of Intent supporting the road development project for its extension from Roone to Tawalaha, where Phase 2 of the road will terminate.”
Speaking on behalf of Roone Community, Chief Andrew Junior Repo thanked Hon. Hou for his commitment to delivering meaningful development to the people of Small Malaita Constituency.
Chief Apollos Horoiwei who spoke on behalf of the Louatowa Iola (tribe) taskforce committee said his committee already convened their first meeting in preparation for the next phase which is phase 3 from Roone to Tawaro.
Chief Horoiwei assured the constituency office of their commitment for the road project, citing the importance of the road project as the key economic infrastructure and catalyst for development on the island.
The Iola (tribe) reaffirmed their willingness to work in partnership with their Member of Parliament to ensure the successful implementation of development projects that will benefit the people of Small Malaita.
Last month (12 February 2026), the road project development has been boosted with the delivery of new road construction machineries and other essential consignments.
These machines include road roller compactor and grader machines generously funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) through the Rural Sustainable Development Program (RSDP), which is being implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD). A dump truck was funded by the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) under the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
The delivery of these road machines marks a major milestone in the project’s progress toward enhancing construction efficiency, improving safety standards, and furthering the development of crucial transport infrastructure in SMC.
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, 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, now further extended to Tawalaha, 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 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, machinery and labour.
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.
SOURCE: MRD Media
