Rick Houenipwela
Rick Houenipwela | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1958 |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Banker |
| Known for | Prime Minister of Solomon Islands (2017–2019), Governor of Central Bank of Solomon Islands (1993–2008) |
Rick Houenipwela (born 8 August 1958), often referred to as Rick Hou, is a politician from the Solomon Islands who held the office of Prime Minister of Solomon Islands between 15 November 2017 and 24 April 2019.
He earned a Bachelor's degree in commerce and accounting at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology and served as governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands from 1993 until 2008. Following this role, he acted as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the World Bank prior to his political career. The Solomon Times acknowledged him as a prominent public figure with strong integrity, highlighting his stance against corruption and his efforts to avert financial collapse during the ethnic unrest in the early 2000s.
While serving as Central Bank Governor in 2003, Islands Business honored him with the title "Man of the Year" for the Pacific region. In 2011, ABC Radio commentator Sean Dorney recognized Houenipwela as a vocal opponent of unsustainable logging practices and commended his bravery in safeguarding the Central Bank throughout periods of ethnic conflict.
Houenipwela entered the national political arena when he was elected to Parliament representing Small Malaita (constituency) in the August 2010 general election as part of the Democratic Alliance Party. The party leader, Steve Abana, appointed him Shadow Minister for Finance and Treasury. After Abana joined Prime Minister Danny Philip's administration in April 2011, Houenipwela was named Minister for Public Service.
Following political realignments in November 2011 that led to the collapse of Philip’s government, Houenipwela moved to the Opposition and played a role in Philip’s subsequent resignation. Gordon Darcy Lilo became Prime Minister and appointed Houenipwela as Minister of Finance. In this capacity, Houenipwela focused on eliminating tax exemptions for low-income earners, lowering tax rates to enhance corporate profitability, and expanding government funding for sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and fisheries.
In April 2015, he publicly opposed tax exemptions granted to members of Parliament and committed to declining his own tax-free remuneration.