Solomon Islands and Australia host inaugural PALM Expo in Honiara

The governments of Solomon Islands and Australia held the first-ever Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Expo in Honiara. The event featured over 25 Australian employer organisations looking to fill job opportunities with Pacific workers.

Since 2018, more than 13,000 Solomon Islanders have participated in the PALM scheme. In 2025, workers sent home a record SBD 507 million in remittances. To support long-term economic impact, Australia has launched the ‘PALM – Strongim Bisnis’ entrepreneurship initiative, which offers matching investments of up to SBD 60,000 for business proposals from returned workers.

While the government views the scheme as a key driver of economic prosperity, Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare has called for a more strategic approach. Sogavare cautioned against overreliance on remittances and urged the government to ensure the scheme complements national development priorities rather than weakening local productive industries by exporting the workforce.