Archive - Jul 2012

WHY NO INTERIM OMBUDSMAN APPOINTED?
On 28th June 2012, Transparency Vanuatu wrote to the President of Vanuatu and copied the correspondence to the Prime Minister requesting “when they would appoint a interim Ombudsman or advertise the position”? To date, Transparency has not received any response to correspondence. However we understand that a candidate has been proposed for consultation, so hopefully a new interim ombudsman should be shortly appointed.

WHY NO RESPONSE RE ANNUAL RETURNS FOR GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND MINISTERS?

On 19th September 2011 the Director of Land, Mr. Jean Marc Pierre was suspended from duty on full pay. This is not the first time he has been suspended and his suspension is similar to the case of suspension on 12 March 2010 by the Director General on 11 charges as per section 36 (1) (c) of the Public Service Act (CAP 246).

Regulation Manager Utilities Regulatory AuthorityExperience of overseas travel to other countries for me always begins with telling people “Vanuatu is a dot on the world map! … Yes, right there!”
Vanuatu is more than a dot on the world map, isn’t it?

As a Ni-Vanuatu seldom travelling abroad on government missions, trainings and attending forums, it strikes me with pride and gratitude to introduce myself, the part of the world I belong to and the business I represent: “I am the Manager Regulation at the Utilities Regulatory Authority of Vanuatu!”

Prime Minister, Sato Kilman, has officially unveiled the name to the Government’s newest institution, Vanuatu Institute of Public Administration and Management (VIPAM).

The newly established Vanuatu Institute of Public Administration and Management aims at providing an update quality standard training for mid to senior level public servants in all government ministries, departments and provinces throughout Vanuatu. Same training standard is also extended to all private sectors/agencies workforce that often, are left out with training and development opportunities.

The Prime Minister’s Office would like to inform the public and all those who may have received an email purportedly to be from Prime Minister Sato Kilman requesting funds whilst on an overseas trip that this is scam similar to many which have been and are being used by internet scammers to obtain monies from unsuspecting email recipients.

MP David Abel and Vete Association have successfully hatched a historic workshop at the MP’s home at Vila North this week attracting a packed audience from all six Provinces to help a South Sea Islander Delegation from Australia find the historical roots of their ancestors who were taken to Australia to work in the sugarcane plantations of Queensland from 1863 to 1903.
The workshop is called “Linking the lost generation’s workshop”.

Some of those original islanders who worked in the cane fields met and married other islanders from the Pacific as well as Aborigines.

Judging from recent newspaper articles one would think Unelco was a candidate in the upcoming election. Who wouldn’t vote for someone who promised to bear 90% of every consumer’s electricity bill leaving him or her to pay only 10%? (Daily Post July 14).
Or for a someone who can provide a whole community with electricity via just one meter? (Daily Post July 20) Maybe some wires have got crossed in the reporting - water, wine, loaves and fishes come to mind – but no one from Unelco or the Ministry responsible for energy is forthcoming with any denials.

Founder and Chairman of the Island Builders Cooperative Society Limited of Vanuatu (IBCSLV), Remo Reuben, has achieved his vision when local builders from SHEFA Province witnessed the launching of their cooperative.
Before the declaration of the SHEFA Island Builders Cooperative Society Limited, Founder and Chairman Reuben told local builders and members of the public that the only way, which they could move forward, is to “cooperate and work together”.

A reliable source from North Ambae has said the tragic death of a young soccer player in the Independence Anniversary Celebrations Centre at Ambanga in North Ambae yesterday won’t mar the celebratory spirit as soccer teams from various villages battle it out for the first prize to be won by finalists on July 30.
The source said the player collapsed after a tackle in the first round of soccer games in the Abanga Independence Anniversary Celebrations Centre.
The rough road conditions between Ambanga and Lolowai hospital did not help in the emergency rush either.

The Member of Parliament for Pentecost (MP) Charlot Salawai and the group that he and Efate MP Steven Kalsakau are leading have already lodged an appeal with the court against the Court ruling that they can no longer use the name UMP or UMPC and the party emblem or slogan or other signs and materials under the name of the UMP.
Commenting on the court ruling, MP Salawai said the court’s decision infringed on the group’s constitutional and fundamental rights to stop using the name UMPC.

“We consider the court’s decision to infringe on our constitutional and fundamental rights.