3.48.  The Solomon Islands' notified enquiry point and national notification authority under the SPS Agreement is the Director of the Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.[66] Solomon Islands has not notified any SPS measures to the WTO

3.49.  Solomon Islands is a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and a signatory to the International Plant Protection Convention; it is not a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). It has signed protocols on SPS issues with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu

3.50.  Under the Biosecurity Act 2013, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock may, by order in the Gazette, regulate imports of plants, animal and products thereof to prevent the introduction of diseases and pests into Solomon Islands.[67] The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is responsible for ensuring that imported food meets the requirements of the Pure Food Act 1996 and the Environmental Health Act. Provincial governments cannot adopt SPS measures

3.51.  The procedure for the development of SPS measures applied on imports is described in the Biosecurity Act 2013. Measures are developed by the Chief Biosecurity Officer of Biosecurity Solomon Islands or the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Livestock Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, on the request of importers. Measures must be prepared in accordance with accepted international guidelines. There is no public inventory of SPS measures, or of products subject to such measures

3.52.  Risk assessments are conducted following any request to import a product for which no SPS measures are specified in the Import Specification Manual, or to renew a licence. While capacities for risk assessments used to be limited, Biosecurity Solomon Islands can now perform them. Around two risk assessments are carried out every year. There are no statutory provisions regarding the maximum duration of risk assessments; the authorities indicate that these take between three months and one year. The cost of risk assessment is borne by Biosecurity Solomon Islands. The import conditions are stipulated in the 2015 Import Specification Manual and Schedules

3.53.  A licence issued by Biosecurity Solomon Islands is generally required to import plants, animals, and their products. The procedure for issuing licences is described in the 2015 Import Specification Manual and Schedules. Licences are valid for one year and are for multiple entries. They are granted within one week of completion of the corresponding risk assessment. Around 100 licences are issued per year

3.54.  Imports considered "low risk" are exempt from licensing requirements, provided that they are "commercially packaged and labelled". Low risk products are specified in the 2015 Import Specification Manual and Schedules and include processed food containing animal products from Australia and New Zealand, and processed food containing plant products from any country

3.55.  Food imports require a permit issued by the Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Permits are issued upon presentation of a certificate from the competent authority in the exporting country attesting that the food has been processed under sanitary conditions. The authorities indicate that permits are normally issued in three days. In addition to a permit, food containing animal or plant products may require an import licence from Biosecurity Solomon Islands

3.56.  All imports of plants, animals, and their products are subject to physical inspection at the border. Inspections are conducted by a biosecurity officer. Fees for inspection, treatment, and quarantine are specified in Schedule 17 of the Biosecurity Regulations 2015

3.57.  In 2012, the Government adopted a National Biosafety Framework. The Government ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) in 1995 and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2004. The objective of the Biosecurity Act 2013 is to prevent the entry and spread of animal and plant pests and diseases in Solomon Islands. The Act restricts or prohibits the importation of products that pose a risk to human, animal and plant life and health

3.42.  Solomon Islands has limited institutional capacity to adopt and enforce technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. It has not adopted legislation to implement the TBT Agreement. It has not made any notifications under that Agreement nor has it designated an entity responsible for answering enquiries about technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures, and standards. The preparation and notification to the WTO of an inventory of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures would be an important step towards increasing transparency for traders and helping efforts to enhance consumer protection

3.43.  There is no centralized standardizing body in Solomon Islands; standards are adopted and administered by various government agencies and ministries. There are no competent agencies to assess conformity with Solomon Islands technical regulations. The National Metrology and Testing Laboratory was destroyed during the period of civil strife, and has not been rebuilt. Market surveillance activities remain limited to the control of calibrations, weights, and measures by the Consumer Affairs and Price Control Division

3.44.  Technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures may be embodied in statutes passed by Parliament, or in subsidiary legislation made by the executive.[56] Under the Consumer Protection Act, the Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration can regulate "product safety or quality standards for any specified kind of goods".[57] Measures adopted under this provision may include requirements relating to performance, composition, design, packaging, marking and labelling, processing method, and testing.[58] Under this provision, quality standards for freezers, refrigerators, and air conditioners were adopted in January 2016

3.45.  The Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration may also make regulations on "methods of inspecting, verifying and stamping weights, measures, copies and models thereof, weighing instruments and measuring instruments, and of certifying such verification".[59] However, no such regulations have yet been adopted

3.46.  To the extent that technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures are embodied in subsidiary legislation, the administrative procedure for their adoption is governed by the Interpretation and General Provisions Act.[60] Subsidiary legislation must be published in the Solomon Islands Gazette, and enters into force on the date of publication, unless another date is specified in the legislation itself.[61] In addition, it must be sent to Parliament, which may annul it through resolution within three months.[62] Subsidiary legislation approved by Parliament in draft form is not subject to this requirement.[63] Legislation governing the adoption of subsidiary legislation does not contemplate public comment or WTO notification of draft measures

3.47.  Solomon Islands does not maintain an inventory of technical regulations or conformity assessment procedures in force. The Customs and Excise Act specifies certain technical regulations applicable on imports.[64] For example: brandy and whiskey must have been matured "by storage in wood" for not less than three years, and rum for not less than two years; electrical appliances designed to be connected to the electricity supply system must meet the conditions specified by the Solomon Islands Electricity Authority; and cigarettes imported in quantities of more than 200 must be contained in packages displaying a health warning. The Pharmacy and Poisons Act specifies labelling requirements for imported medicines.[65]