Archive - May 2012

Whitegrass Airport in Tanna can now boast of being “international” because it is lit up at night now that the Prime Minister has switched on the light in a milestone ceremony yesterday.
Tannese communities have allowed all their fruit trees and gardens to be cleared without compensation to allow for the Unelco to erect the light poles for the high voltage connections.

The head of the Vanuatu Government has vowed that people harbouring prisoners on the run will face the maximum penalty.
“The people involved in harboring the prisoners must face full penalty. The Government I lead will ask the courts to make sure the full penalty is applied to those who have been harboring the escapees,” Prime Minister Sato Kilman told reporters on his arrival back from Japan at the Bauerfield airport, Monday evening.

Paramount Chief of Erakor Village Chief Denny Nmak has organised a custom ceremony to return the name “Zachary” to his uncle George Zachary in the village on May 26.

The ceremony was important as it was a direct order from the Court for him to return his uncle’s name now that the court has ruled in his favour as the next Paramount Chief of Erakor Village.
His lawyer George Nakou was also present to witness the ceremony while the Zachary Family accepted the return of their name.

“I was smacked and it hasn’t done me any harm.” Some parents smack to control behavior because it is the only way they know.
“If I don’t smack I won’t be able to control my children”. No hitting does not mean no rules but it does mean you can discipline in a positive way.
Some parents smack to let out their own anger and frustration. Anger is natural and we all feel it. We have to learn to handle it so it does not hurt us or others.

WHY HITTING IS NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN:

This is an importantsection and all members of the Fund should carefully read and understand the withdrawal requirements when they are thinking to withdraw their savings from VNPF.
Under the VNPF Act Cap 189, any member can only withdraw his or her contributions on the following grounds:
1.    Retirement – Applies to members who has reached 55 years of age
2.    Medical – where a member is no longer fit to work anymore due to a medical/health condition with a medical confirmation from a doctor

Head of the Anglican Church in Vanuatu, Rev. Bishop James Marvin Ligo, has officially released Fr Charles Vatu to contest the 2012 General Elections in October.  

The official release was performed in front of over 400 Anglican Church members of Port Vila during a special service administered by Bishop James Marvin Ligo at Tagabe Church of The Resurrection on Saturday 26 May, 2012.

The Minister of Internal Affairs George Wells has listened to the grievances of the suspended Port Vila Municipality Councilors and has written to the Port Vila Town Clerk to pay the councilors monthly allowances.
Suspended Port Vila Lord Mayor Willie Saatearoto and his Council have met Prime Minister Sato Kilman’s and Internal Affairs Minister on separate occasions to voice their concerns that as elected councilors they have a right to monthly allowances.

The person suspected being behind the master minding of criminal activities around Port Vila has been arrested by Police. His identity is not yet released by Police.

Arresting the suspected Criminal ringleader was a huge breakthrough for the week long Police operation to recapture escaped high-risk inmates and crackdown on criminal activities in the Capital.
There have been 44 arrests since the launching of the operation including 3 of the escapees but it is yet unclear whether the suspected criminal master-minder was one of the escapees.

Even the most severe critics of what seems to be, until the present, a very ad hoc Vanuatu trade policy were pleased to hear Trade Minister Lini announce a Trade Policy Framework (TPF) on Tuesday morning.

Minister Lini was chairing the first 2012 meeting of the National Trade Development Committee which it is hoped will “mainstream Trade into national policy-making”. The government officials, development partners and individuals are expected to guide and direct policy formulation through the Committee (NTDC) to the Development Committee of Officials and Council of Ministers.

A senior Vanuatu official in custody in Australia was allegedly involved in a large tax fraud, a Brisbane court has been told.
Clarence Marae was arrested late last month while passing through Sydney airport with the nation’s Prime Minister, Sato Kilman, en route to Israel.
He has been charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the commonwealth.

Mr Marae, a private secretary in Mr Kilman’s office, appeared briefly in the Brisbane Magistrates Court last Friday.