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.

Vanuatu might just be a dot on the map but when it comes to climate change, the country has been taking significant strides in addressing the global phenomenon. Since coming into power, the government has launched several initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable development.

Renewable Energy Projects

Already it has initiated various renewable energy projects, including the Vanuatu Green Energy Transformation (VGET) project, which aims to provide clean energy to rural communities. The project has already installed pico hydro stations in Pentecost Island, generating 65kW of clean electricity and benefiting over 3,700 people.

Climate Change Policy

Vanuatu has also launched its National Loss and Damage Policy, making it one of only four countries globally to adopt a standalone national policy framework addressing climate change impacts. The policy includes a 5-year implementation framework costed at over 11.7 billion Vatu and establishes a Loss and Damage Working Group.

International Cooperation

Vanuatu is working closely with international partners, including the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to access climate finance and implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Key Achievements

·         Vanuatu submitted its Enhanced NDC 3.0 to the UNFCCC, showcasing its commitment to climate action.

·         The country has established a National Accredited Entity, allowing it to work directly with the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

·         Vanuatu has launched several community-based climate resilience projects, including the Vanuatu Community-based Climate Resilience Project (VCCRP)

·         Renewable Energy Initiatives

100% Renewable Energy Target

Vanuatu aims to achieve 100% renewable energy in the electricity sector by 2030.

Sarakata Hydropower Expansion: The Sarakata hydropower expansion project in Santo will increase capacity from 1.2MW to 2.2MW, aiming for almost 100% renewable energy for Santo by 2027.

Solar PV and Battery Storage: Projects in Port Vila and Tanna include a 6.5MW battery with 1MW solar PV and a 1MW solar with 2.5MW battery storage ¹.

Climate Finance and Projects

Green Climate Fund Approval: Vanuatu's Ministry of Finance and Economic Management has been approved as a National Accredited Entity by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board.

Vanuatu Community-based Climate Resilience Project (VCCRP): A USD$32.7 million project to improve climate resilience in 282 villages across six provinces.

Climate Finance Readiness Writeshop: Vanuatu hosted a writeshop to build skills for unlocking climate finance and advancing adaptation solutions.

Sustainable Development

National Electrification Master Plan (NEMP): A plan to guide future regulations and management models for rural electrification.

Electric Vehicles (EVs): Vanuatu is exploring clean transport solutions, including EVs and solar-powered charging stations.

These initiatives demonstrate Vanuatu's commitment to addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.

For more details, the public can access more updates of the progress made this year here.

At its 29th Ordinary Meeting, the Council of Ministers (COM) approved several key recommendations from a Working Group leading a major review of previous COM decisions regarding the country's second submarine cable and other digital infrastructure projects, including the establishment of new data centres and the upgrading of the government broadband network.

 The long-awaited Tamtam submarine cable, linking Lifou in New Caledonia to Vanuatu, will significantly boost high-speed broadband internet connectivity to Santo, Malekula, Efate, and Tanna. This will provide reliable redundancy and backup, making the network more resilient and enhancing domestic connectivity.

 COM has directed the Ministry of the Prime Minister through the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation (DCDT) to ensure that the Tamtam cable is “owned, managed and operated under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement”.

 The COM also instructed that the design for the operation and maintenance of the Tamtam Cable be formulated through a transparent process in accordance with the relevant national legislative and regulatory framework.

 A ground-breaking ceremony is planned shortly to mark the start of the cable-laying process.

 The new submarine cable, which will be fully owned and serviced entirely in-country, is greatly anticipated to change the dynamics of the country's communication and digital landscape. The cable laying work is being funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French Government, including equity share contributions from Prima Ltd, the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) and the Vanuatu Post.

 The Working Committee that conducted the review is chaired by Efate Rural MP and ICT Specialist, Hon. Fred Lui Samuel, recently appointed as ICT Special Envoy for the Government of Vanuatu. The committee comprises key personnel from the National Security Council, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Prime Minister's Office. 

 In addition, COM also gave several other key undertakings relating to the communication and digital space, aimed at significantly assisting the Government to protect its data better in future, in light of the 2022 experience with the cyberattack that affected the entire Government machinery.

 The COM decision makes it clear that the Data Centres and the Cloud Pilot Project remain the property of the State of Vanuatu.

 The following were the other key decisions of the COM of November 26th, 2025

·         Instructed the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation to complete the implementation of the Vanuatu Government Data Centre project, a project being carried out with support from the Australian Government.

·         Instructed the DCDT to collaborate with the Government of Australia on the implementation of the Government's Cloud Project, ensuring Vanuatu's sovereign data and information are always secure.

·       Regarding the Government Broadband Network Project, COM instructed that the department responsible for national communication, DCDT, be supported to carry out broadband network projects with financing from the EU.

·        COM also instructed that the Working Group become a Sub-Committee within the National Digital Transformation Steering Committee, established under the new Digital Transformation Act of 2025.