Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has started his Ministerial visits only two weeks after his election as Prime Minister starting with the two arms of security and rehabilitation in the country.

The Prime Minister started off his visits to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Headquarters last week while this morning he visited the Rove Correctional Center.

In a statement during visiting Solomon Islands Correctional Services Prime Minister Lilo said “I decided to visit first these two ministries because they are the backbone of our national security as well as law and order”

And both of them are vital to our overall socio-economic and political development in our country.

During the visitation Prime Minister Lilo expressed his impression on the physical infrastructure at the Headquarters as well as when observing and inspecting the parade.

He said the changes that had taken place in the Solomon Islands Correctional Services demonstrated the tremendous success of the partnership between the Solomon Islands Government and RAMSI.

The Prime Minister said since the RAMSI arrival in the country in July 2003, RAMSI helped Solomon Islands Government Strengthen and enhance this particular sector under its law and justice programme and the SIG-RAMSI support facility.

And through this partnership it has resulted in the establishment of new facilities as well as big improvement to existing facilities in the country.

He added the significance of this partnership was the fundamental shift of focus from a punitive approach during the days of the Solomon Islands Prison Service to rehabilitation under the new Solomon Islands Correctional Services.

The progress in this sector was also demonstrated by the fact that Solomon Islands Correctional Services had about 260 staff when RAMSI arrived in 2003 and next year it is expected that the number of staff would increase to around 420.

The Prime Minister said it was also heartening to learn that our correctional services are now into providing training in partnership with Solomon Island College of Higher Education and we must be proud of this because other pacific islands countries would also benefit from it.

Meanwhile Mr Lilo has assured the two institutions that Government would continue to support this important sector for the future safety, security and benefit of our beloved country, Solomon Islands.