Solomon Islands National Parliament has 50 seats sitting in one house; members are elected from single member constituencies by popular vote, to serve four-year terms. 

Government of the provinces is under review; currently, provincial government is managed from within the national Ministry of Provincial Government. However, the Provincial Government Act is being transformed to reflect the country’s intention to give more autonomy to the provinces. Some areas of government – education and health – are already mostly devolved to the provincial level, with others moving steadily in that direction. With a significant amount of capacity building underway, the country is moving towards a federal system where the provinces will become states in their own right.

There are Magistrates and Local Court officers operating in the Provinces, overseen by a Principal Magistrate.  Local court also hears land dispute cases, and minor civil and criminal matters in the District Courts.  At village level, where the village chiefs still wield considerable authority, the village chief often settles local disputes in the Chief’s Hearing under the non-established Chief’s Courts. 

Both international security and internal policing of the Solomon Islands rests in the hands of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force, a robust, competent organisation that now has the capacity to work regionally, rendering assistance to neighbouring countries during times of disaster. As a result of a proactive crime prevention strategy, police working closely with local communities, the country is peaceful. International confidence is strong, as attested by a series of recent regional sporting and cultural events, and the upcoming Melanesian Arts Festival in 2017 and Pacific Games in 2023.

Ministry of Commerce, Labour, Industry and Employment holds responsibility for the Solomon Islands Port Authority

Ministry of Communications and Aviation holds responsibility for the Civil Aviation Authority Of Solomon Islands, the SOE that manages the Airports and their ancillary services. 

Ministry of Finance and Treasury’s Customs and Excise Division is responsible for processing documentation for tax exemption for humanitarian cargo. Organizations wishing to be eligible for these exemptions must be registered with the Registrar (Ministry of Lands) under the Charitable Act. and get a signature from the Inlands Revenue Division.

Ministry of Health Medical Services needs to be applied to for importation of medicine; a pharmacy permit issued by the National Referral Hospital may be required. This ministry is the Lead Agency for pandemic response

Ministry of Infrastructure Development is responsible for building and maintaining infrastructure including roads, bridges, navigation aids and wharfs, repairing infrastructure after disaster events.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology is responsible for the National Disaster Council which has the primary responsibility for disaster risk management in the Solomon Islands supported by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) 

Telecommunications Commission is a statutory body that was formed in February 2010. It is the regulator body for telecommunications in the Solomon Islands

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Solomon Islands Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List here.

Further information on the services provided by the National Regulatory Departments identified in the contact list given above can be found in the following document:

Solomon Islands National Regulatory Departments Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.