BY INDY MAEALASIA
CHAIRLADY of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Namoi Kaluae has proposed the creation of a SME Innovation Fund aimed at helping rural businesses adopt digital technologies.
Speaking at the opening of the National Business Forum on Wednesday, Kaluae welcomed the government’s call for stronger partnerships to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Kaluae said that investing in such partnership will scale up businesses, particularly rural SMEs which are largely excluded from formal credit.
Drawing inspiration from a similar initiative in Fiji that has successfully boosted SME growth, Kaluae said the same approach could help level the playing field for local businesses.
She further explained how digital transformation could open global markets for local entrepreneurs.
“This will allow a micro-enterprise in Honiara to sell to a customer in Hong Kong, a farmer in Makira to check global commodity prices in real time and a woman-led startup to secure financing without even stepping into a bank,” said Kaluae.
However, she acknowledged that significant challenges remain, with an estimated 60% of Solomon Islands businesses still lacking access to digital payment systems.
“Without these basic tools, we’re still locked out of the modern economy,” she said.
To address this, she proposed the creation of a digital trade hub, operated by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce, to train businesses in both local and global e-commerce.
She added that such digital transformation could greatly impact local sellers, enabling them to grow beyond domestic markets and compete regionally.
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