Snyder Rini

Snyder Rini (27 July 1948 – 5 August 2025) was a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the prime minister of Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and was Minister for Finance and Treasury 2000–2001, 2002–2003, 2007–2010 and 2014–2017. He represented the Marovo constituency in the National Parliament from 1997 until his death.

Early life and education Rini was born in Telina village in Marovo Lagoon of Western District, British Solomon Islands on 27 July 1948. He attended Kukudu Primary School and the Seventh Day Adventist’s Betikama Secondary School before going to Papua New Guinea in 1970 to study at the Kambubu High School. He graduated with degrees in accounting from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1971 and the University of Technology in Lae in 1974.

Politics Rini was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Natural Resources in 1989 and was Chairman of Solomon Islands National Provident Fund from 1990 to 1996. He was also Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Planning and Development from 1994 to 1995 and Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from January 1997 to June 1997. He was first elected to the National Parliament in the August 1997 election. Under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, he served as Minister of Finance and Treasury from July 2000 to December 2001. Re-elected to Parliament in December 2001, he became deputy prime minister and Minister for National Planning & Development in that month; after one year, he became deputy prime minister and Minister for Finance and Treasury in December 2002, and he then became deputy prime minister and Minister for Education and Human Resources Development in mid-2003, remaining in that post until April 2006. His successor, Manasseh Sogavare, took office on 4 May 2006, defeating Rini's deputy prime minister, Fred Fono, in the vote to replace Rini.

Fono, as Leader of the Opposition, named Rini as Shadow Minister of National Planning and Aid Coordination on 16 May 2006. After Sogavare was defeated in a no-confidence vote in December 2007, Rini became Minister for Finance and Treasury under Prime Minister Derek Sikua on 21 December 2007.

Following the replacement of Manasseh Sogavare as prime minister by Rick Houenipwela on 15 November 2017, Sogavare became Minister of Finance of the Solomon Islands.

Death Rini died on 5 August 2025, at the age of 77.