The US National Security council’s Indo Pacific Coordinator, Kurt Campbell and delegation met up with Prime Minister Hon. Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau Maau’Koro on Wednesday 22^nd March 2022, along with Foreign Affairs minister Jotham Napat for Bilateral talks.

The United States has indicate that they will be opening its embassy here in Port Vila, Re-Introduce the peace corps program and revive the cooperation with US Coast Guard to assist in protecting our waters and protect our marine resources from illegal fishing activities. The US will also involve more in climate change to build more ware house of relief supplies for immediate response.

An extra amount of $3 Million has been announced by US to go towards shelter, water and food security.

Prime Minister Hon Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau has officially launched the new company VANUEX LTD on 7^th February 2023, which will be conducting business/trade through Digital technology. He has pointed out that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic outlook is within the same level of Digital transformation.

Most country’s economy are moving towards Digital and Vanuatu is going in the same direction.

The announcement was made along side MP Jessy Luo, MP for Malekula Hon Anatole Hymak and Minister of Agriculture Hon Nako Natuman.

4 billion VT projects to be funded from Chinese funds that were never used. Prime Minister Hon Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau Maau’koro has announced a total of 4 billion projects from the aid money that was never utilised by the previous government. The 2 billion for 2021 will be injected into road projects for Efate and Santo while a further 2 million for 2022 will be go towards the construction of a new school of nursing collage in Santo and up grading health facilities.

The Prime Minister made the announcement after signing off all documentations that were later dispatched to Chinese Embassy last week. When he came into office after his election as PM, he found out that 2 billion Chinese grand for 2021 and another 2 million for 2022 was never put to use. The Prime Minister Maau’koro said it is best to target only two islands and make an impact and move to other islands next. This does not mean the government has ignored other islands completely under this grand. We have 2023 and 2024 still to be utilised and the Public Works will still continue working on our roads.

Prime Minister, Hon. Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau met today 18^th February 2023 with Mr. Steven F. UDVAR’HAZY, the Executive Chairman for AIR LEASE CORPORATION. During their discussion, he has assured the Honorable Prime Minister that between April and June this year, the national Airline Air Vanuatu is expected to include in its fleet an extra Boeing and has confirm 2 new super Jets for the same period in 2024 to replace the current Boeings. 

Prime Minista i anaonsem 100 day plan blong hem tete February 9 2023 hemia long national mo provincial level.

Ol eria blong prioriti hemi includum extention blong ol rod, ol health fasiliti, infrastructure, public sector reform, inkris long climate change fund, Air Vanuatu reform mo tu citizenship program long kaontri.

Government national priorities, provincial priorities mo priorities blong ol constituencies hem i wan caucus led policy drive.

From se ol priorities ia hem i blong 4 yrs mo i gat time line blong each and every projects ia, caucus blong government nau bai i drivem blong make sure se ol projects ia i delivered on time.

By VBTC

The Department of Strategic Policy, Planning & Aid Coordination (DSPPAC) Unit under the Prime Minister’s Office, signed a Partnership Agreement on 27th January 2023 with the Vanuatu Skills Partnership (VSP) for the implementation of the TC Harold recovery initiative across Sanma, Malampa and Penama. These provinces were significantly affected by the Category 5 cyclone in 2020 and the Government of Vanuatu received additional grant funding from the Government of Australia to respond to the crisis.

This event formalises the strong collaboration between the two organisations to work towards the shared goal of an effective, decentralised, and inclusive skills system that supports a fair, prosperous, and sustainable Vanuatu. The agreement has a specific focus on the development of ni-Vanuatu small business and employment across a range of sectors through skills development and market access activities.

Director of DSPPAC, John Ezra, said that since VSP, through the Ministry of Education and Training Skills Centres, is well established in all the provinces, this collaboration will enable the Government of Vanuatu to successfully deliver on its commitment to economic recovery following the disaster and the achievement of the goals of the 2030 People’s Plan. 

“I believe this partnership will continue to deliver results. We will continue to work together to ensure all ni-Vanuatu have the necessary skills to help them advance in life.”

VSP’s Director, Fremden Yanhambath, said that through the generous financial assistance from the Australian Government, the Partnership is well positioned to scale up its work in collaboration with DSPPAC to support the priority needs of the Government of Vanuatu - in key recovery areas of agribusiness, construction, tourism recovery and local training provider strengthening.

“We will continue to strengthen our partnership with DSSPAC to address priority needs and maximise economic growth opportunities. We will listen and seek your guidance on the implementation of this recovery strategy and, most importantly, the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP), so that we can achieve tangible results and continue to build on them.”

VSP recently held its annual strategic planning held at Le Life, and plans for this year are already looking busy to serve the population of Vanuatu across all provinces.

The total value for the implementation of the TC Harold recovery initiative is Vt160, 000,000, and is expected to be completed by 2025.

Prime Minister Hon Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau Maau'koro called the Director General Mr Leonard Louma in to his office for a quick update on Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). He made the call as new MSG Chairman following his election as Prime Minister on the 4^th of November, 2022 as Prime Minister.

He told DG Louma that MSG need to be more vocal on issues affecting our region and we must not lose sight of the fact that we are a strategic bloc to be reckon withs because we have a huge land mass, population and natural resources. Therefore, we need to be more focal and energize towards ensuring that the region gets as much attention as it can, the PM stressed. PM also raised a point that any future employment with in the MSG we must first look with in our region if we have people with required skills set. If Melanesian region does not have those skill sets for any upcoming job then we can look beyond our region, the new Chairman reiterated.

Fiji now has a new Prime Minister and we need to start talking. There are issues with Kiribati that made me started thinking we should be speaking out more as Melanesians so that no one feels isolated and vulnerable. Now that we have a new Prime Minister in Fiji, we need to start talking and engage more with each other.

  As Chair of the MSG, my best interest would be to have a meeting with my colleagues just so we hold ourselves true to the aspirations of our founding father. I will be meeting with the Australian Prime Minister so it is crucial that we meet for a shell of kava at the MSG Secretariate or via virtual with other leaders.. I want to feel that Melanesian spirit of brotherhood before meeting with Australian Prime Minister now that Australian is a member of MSG under the PIF (Pacific Island Forum)  said the new chairman. The more we continue talking with each other with an open mind, the MSG bloc will only grow stronger, according to the new Chairman.

The Prime Minister Hon Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau Ma’aukoro visited Australia on an invitation from the Prime Minister of Australia on Tuesday the 14^th of February 2023.  

PM Maau’koro and his delegation departed Port Vila on the 14^th of February to meet Australian Prime Minister Hon Anthony Albanese on Wednesday 15^th of February 2023.

The invitation from Australian Prime Minister follows on from the foreign Minister’s visit to Vanuatu Hon Penny Wong early this year.  Vanuatu Prime Minister to visit Prime Minister Albanese’s guest.

Therefore, it is an honour for me as Prime Minister to be invited as government guest and I cherish the relationship we have developed. Australia is a key development partner for Vanuatu and we look forward to grow and deepen the corporation between us.

In light of this invitation, I know that the relationship between the countries only continue to grow from strength to strength. It is our culture in the Pacific to gather around the table and discuss development issues acknowledge all the good work we have achieved and the once we are still working on. It’s embedded in the Pacific culture of respect to gather around a table and discus issues rather than sending correspondence after correspondence. That is the spirit of our relationship with Australia.

At the out set I want to thank all officials from the Australian government in Canberra, DFAT, Australian High Commission in Port Vila and officials from the Vanuatu government who worked so hard to turn this into reality.

The recent development of the National Sustainable Development Plan 2016 to 2030 (NSDP), and its complementing documents such as the National Planning Framework and the NSDP Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, provide a timely opportunity for the Ministry of the Prime Minister to align the Ministry’s new Corporate Plan 2020- 2022 to the development goals and policy objectives of “Vanuatu 2030: The People’s Plan”.

The Annual Report is one of the functional requirements under the Public Service Act of 1998, which mandates Directors General to inform the Government, the Parliament and the people of Vanuatu of the activities of each Ministry and what has been achieved over the past year. The 2019 Annual Report provides a short and concise synopsis of the activities and major achievements of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and its respective Departments, Units and agencies.