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.

PORT VILA, WEDNESDAY 23^rd April, 2025 - As of today, the government has achieved 53% of its 100-day policy directives.

While the results are positive, the government believes more could be achieved with 49 days to go before the 100-days conclude on June 11.

Prime Minister Jotham Napat is urging all ministries, department and government line agencies to continue with the great progress they are already making to ensure key priorities they set out to achieve are implemented.

What the Government had set out to implement covered five broad sectors: Governance and Reform – to enhance public sector efficiency and improve service delivery; Economic Recovery and Growth – focusing on strategic initiatives to support Vanuatu’s economic recovery; Post-Disaster Infrastructure Recovery – policy actions which included demolition of condemned buildings, identify and secure and relocate government offices, and  road assessments to find ways to ease traffic flows; Education and Teaching Service Commission Reform, which included reviewing Teaching Services Commission to enhance efficiency, accountability and responsiveness to teacher concerns; and Foreign Relations – with an aim to strengthen Vanuatu’s global standing by fostering strategic diplomatic partnerships, enhance economic cooperation and safeguard national sovereignty.

According to data submitted through the online Monitoring and Evaluation dashboard held within the PMO website (https://pmo.gov.vu/en/) as of today, the performance of the different government ministries against the five broad pillars indicate 35% achievement in Economic Recovery and Growth Sector, 43% in the Education Sector, 57% in  the Foreign Relations and Policy Sector, Governance and Reform is 49%, while Recovery and Infrastructure achieved 69%. 

Prime Minister Napat wishes to thank everyone for keeping track of all the progress by contributing live raw data on progress from their respective ministries – enabling the citizenry to follow and assess the performance of ‘public servants’ –  a first for the Vanuatu government!

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities currently top the list of high performers. For MIPU awards of contracts for Efate Ring Road and East Coast Santo road are amongst key highlights.

Most of the activities on the dashboard are displaying ‘In Progress’ status – some with 80% completion mark, which stands the government in a good position to achieve much of what it had set out to do since coming to power barely two months ago.

The Government is not oblivious however to the fact that Vanuatu’s challenges are compounded by so many factors – some beyond its control.

One area that is proving to be a key challenge concerns a much needed review of the government machinery, but Prime Minister Napat is determined to ensure this activity continues on into the next phase.

In addition, there are few glaring misses, including within the health sector and relate to medical referrals and establishment of an insurance health policy for citizens –  an action the Ministry of Health is yet to set in motion.

Once implemented, it would greatly alleviate growing concerns of families needing to fundraise to meet high specialized medical treatments overseas.

At the end of the 100 days the Government intends to launch further policy directives.

PORT VILA, TUESDAY 15^th April, 2025 - A raft of amendments to the national Constitution is set to go before parliament at the end of this month 30th of April 2025. These were approved recently by the Council of Ministers.

The first amendment significant change to the Constitution would allow for exceptions to Article 5(i)(k) to cater for the creation of what would be known as Economic Development Zones. Article 5 (i)(k) states:

“equal treatment under the law or administrative action, except that no law shall be inconsistent with this sub-paragraph insofar as it makes provision for the special benefit, welfare, protection or advancement of females, children and young persons, members of under-privileged groups or inhabitants of less developed areas.”

 Under the proposed amendment, the exceptions would effectively provide for the establishment of new Economic Development Zones (EDZs), an initiative intended to encourage more private investments with a range of privileges within designated areas. Discussions over such an initiative are not new. The concept was first floated in the late 1990s, but only briefly.

This time, the Government is more optimistic that it can create such economic zones, with South Santo and the north of Efate already ear-marked as first in line for implementation. The new changes would further allow for reforms to certain laws and regulations to be adopted in the EDZs to enhance prospects for economic activities and ease of doing business. The Government anticipates that with the EDZs, it can create more opportunities for job creation and revenue generation through an expanded tax base.

The second amendment to be considered – also approved by COM this past week, is a new provision that would effectively recognize only two sexes in Vanuatu – one that is assigned at birth. The amendment is considered well in line with the visions of the founders who in their wisdom decided that Vanuatu as a sovereign country, would be founded on Melanesian values and Christian principles.

Thirdly, in the continuing efforts to ensure lasting stability and consistency in the policy making and implementation process – and following on from the strengthening of the political party systems through 17A and 17B, the Government also wants to provide for a 12-month grace period for any sitting prime minister.

In continuing the former government’s reform efforts, Prime Minister Jotham Napat who will introduce the amendments at the special sitting of parliament, wants parliamentary support for the amendment now, before taking it to the people through a second national referendum, in accordance with Article 86 of the Constitution.

The final amendment, will make voting at a referendum compulsory. Once the plebiscite is called, the Government intends to use the opportunity to see and assess if compulsory voting could be applied to all national elections.