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As the ratification of the country’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by parliament is almost a done deal, the only opportunity for the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC) is for its members to lobby with their individual MPs to convince them not to vote in favour of it.

Dear Editor,

I drove past Seven Star on Saturday and saw Minister of Finance in front of a property of a family who had been evicted for defaulting on their loan.
I heard from people standing around that the Minister promised to see NBV Bank Management and have the family moved back in by Wednesday 2nd November.

Minister, yu oraet ia?

It was such interference from politicians and their cohorts that brought NBV to its knees in the 90s.

I understand that the police and Sherriff acted on a Court Order.

Editor,

The Minister of Trade, Ham Lini's speech at the WTO published in Daily POst issue 3386 is full of lies, lies, lies!

First; paragraph 4; "today is a happy moment of historic significance for the Government and people of the Republic of Vanuatu". This is a lie!!. The Vanuatu Christian Council (the majority), the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (the Majority - highest percentage of population) and the general public through the talk back shows are not happy as Lini claims. He is a liar!

Dear Editor,

I am a long term resident of Vanuatu and personally i am against the country joining the WTO.

I own a small vehicle and can drive about town doing my usual business and shopping and use less than Vt2, 000 per week.

I see too many buses and most are empty with others with one or two passengers.

But what i know is that a lot of workers are struggling to pay the Vt1,500 for them to go to work and to make it harder they have school bus fares.
Hence i now know workers who walk and students who walk.

It was standing room only at Shefa headquarters Saturday morning, October 29, as interested parties from all sectors of the community gathered for the first of what could be several public consultations regarding MP Joshua Kalsakau’s and Terra Holdings Ltd’s proposed development to reclaim (backfill) approximately one and a half hectares of Fatumaru Bay opposite Kawenu Field.

The Ministry of Education has issued an instrument to take back all students who had been sent out of schools due to outstanding school fees so that they could complete the academic year.

During a recent visit to the northern part of the country, the Director General of Education, Jessie Dick, confirmed that all schools were already issued instructions as directed by the Minister for Education Marcellino Pipette to take back all students who have been send away because their term fees are not being completed.

Sanma Province bid farewell Thursday last week to one of their best hardworking staff, John Ware, officer in charge of the Department of Tourism.

This ceremony was organised by members of the Espiritu Santo Tour Operators Association and officers of the Sanma Provincial Council.

Ware supported tourism development throughout Sanma Province for the last six years.

He previously worked in the same role for Torba Province for two years.

With this experience he is now being relocated to his home island of Tanna as the Manager of the Department of Tourism for Tafea Province.

An Air Vanuatu domestic flight from Santo to Port Vila was in the process of descending at Bauerfield International Airport when all the navigational and runway lights were turned off Monday night.

“The government should instigate a Commission of Inquiry into the incident because lives could have been lost,” a frustrated Air Vanuatu passenger MP Jossie Masmas and Secretary General of the Vanuatu Republican Party told Daily Post.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Management has terminated the chairman of the Vanuatu National Provident Board (VNPF) and reportedly replaced him with his first political advisor Michel Morris.

Under the VNPF Act [CAP 189] the six members VNPF Board (appointed by the minister) consists of;

Deputy Director of Trade Timothy Sisi has assured the audience of the VCC National Policy Summit that questions on the World Trade Organisation and the country’s imminent accession to it can continue at the Summit today.

In his explanation to what the WTO Reserve List is all about, he said it is an “indicative list” through the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority to provide direction for foreign investors.