BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Opposition Leader Matthew Wale wishes the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) well in the implementation the 2026 National Budget.
Wale made the remarks in a recent interview with Insight, reflecting on statements made by Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele last year, in which the Prime Minister said 2026 would be a more disciplined year in terms of budget implementation.
Prime Minister Manele also assured Solomon Islanders of a new direction, saying the government will work to better align the budget with its priorities.
Wale welcomed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, saying that regardless of political differences, all Solomon Islanders want to see the government succeed.
“These are good sentiments. There is a desire for a clear direction in implementing the budget to meet the priorities that have been set,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said what he expects from the government is to maximise revenue collection and ensure spending is confined to what has been legally appropriated and prioritised.
However, Wale pointed out that the 2026 budget remains a deficit budget, only slightly reduced compared to two years ago.
“We’ve had four or five years of deficit budgets going back, and that’s the first problem,” he said.
“If revenue does not perform and the government fails to collect enough, the budget is made on the assumption that the government will borrow.”
Wale noted that borrowing is not guaranteed and depends on lenders agreeing to provide funds.
He said delays or failure in borrowing would directly affect budget implementation.
“In those situations, ministries could end up sitting idle or cutting back on what they originally planned, meaning development services cannot be delivered,” he said.
Instead, ministries are forced to focus on recurrent expenditure such as salaries and office expenses.
“I think the credibility of the budget hangs on whether funds will actually be available to implement it. Revenue is one, and borrowing is the other,” Wale said.
He wished the government well, expressing hope that it will secure sufficient revenue and spend it wisely.
