Archive - May 13, 2011

Dear Editor,

WTO is a wolf in sheep's clothing, why is Vanuatu welcoming corporate colonialism?

The Vanuatu policymakers of today have real power, the WTO will control the policymakers and this country once an agreement is signed. VIPA and the economic empowerment of the Ni-Vanuatu will be rendered redundant if this agreement goes forward.

Dear Editor,

It annoys me to see and hear UNELCO's repeated “Sevem power mo sevem Money” tips for reducing energy consumption on TBV and Radio.

As a customer, there is no way I can save money on my utilities when UNELCO is the most expensive Electricity Provider with the highest rate in the Pacific.

Please don't even try to teach me how to become more energy efficient by switching to energy saving light bulbs, when life is miserable with UNELCO over these years.

Dear Editor,

I refer to Lennox Vuti's letter to the editor in DP issue No 3238 dated 10th May 2011. Please allow me to respond briefly.

Vuti's point that WTO YES MEN should be informing the public about the merits of the WTO is well taken. We all look forward to a TV panel by government convincing Vanuatu population that we are not selling our SOVEREIGNTY to corporate interests by joining WTO.

The Efate Dorcas Federation responsible for the 12 Dorcas societies on the island of Efate paid a visit to the Melemat Adventist ladies on March 6, 2011. This is part of the community service program of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

According to the Welfare and Community Services Manual, the word “Community” means the place where we live: the people around us, the village the tribe, the town of the island that we belong to. Everybody belongs to a community. We should take and interest in the problems of our community. Often the people in a community work together.

John Turpie, nearly 60, is an artist who loves sailing which is why he and his wife Siv purchased Billy Can. Billy Can is the name of their faithful concrete yacht in which they sailed to Vanuatu from South Australia last year. It was while they were sailing down to Port Vila from Luganville that without knowing, they hit a reef in the passage off Maskylenes in Malekula and the accident ripped off the rudder and propeller stranding them in the passage.

The upgrading and improvement of the Lamap Health Centre in South Malekula, is on the priority list of the new Health Minister, Willie Reuben Abel.

He revealed this in his remarks during a signing ceremony at the French Embassy in Port Vila on Tuesday afternoon.

French Ambassador to Vanuatu Mrs Francoise Maylie and the Minister signed a joint partnership arrangement between the Government of Vanuatu and developing partners for the implementation of the strategy for health action in Vanuatu for the period 2010-2016.

Deputy Leader of Opposition and National United Party leader, Ham Lini, said he was “highly embarrassed” to see that not many ministers, members of parliament, non government organizations and the private sector were present to witness the launching of the World Trade Organisation Regional Perspective Workshop at Iririki Island Resort yesterday.

The Vanuatu Ministry of Justice has put on hold a commission of inquiry investigating why a coroner’s report had been ignored by authorities.

The report drawn up by New Zealand judge, Nevin Dawson, looked into the police’s failure to investigate the killing in custody of a prisoner, John Bule.

The lawyer for the police commissioner, Joshua Bong, says legal proceedings to stop the inquiry have been launched, prompting reports it had already been suspended.

Air Vanuatu has firmly cemented its place in the ranks of the world’s best and safest airlines with exceptional results in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) check last week.

To become a registered IOSA carrier, airlines must satisfy IATA’s 966-plus conditions, covering all aspects of airline operations, from safety systems, training and reporting to flight operations.

The accreditation is no mean feat for the airline; fellow IOSA members include Qantas, Cathay Pacific and British Airways.

A 10-year-old student was in a bus travelling around Port Vila for over two hours when she stopped the service bus to get her home.

The 10-year-old girl whose parents did not want her name mentioned related her ordeal to Daily Post yesterday morning.

The girl hailed a service bus after school at 3.30 pm yesterday and gave her destination to the driver who agreed to take her there.

However, the girl arrived home at nearly 6pm. Her parents were worried about her whereabouts and were about to call the police as she arrived home.