Vanuatu National Leasing Profile

Dear Editor,

I wish to congratulate World Bank's "Jastis Blong Evriwan" for compiling important data on the status of the land leases in Vanuatu (Vanuatu National Leasing Profile). If Im correct, this is the first time ever for such data to be put together and released as public information.
Despite much criticism of the leasing system in Vanuatu, the report shows that only 9.3% of Vanuatu's land mass is under the leasing system. This meant that over 90% of land in Vanuatu is still under customary ownership or is still in the hands of indigenous ni-Vanuatu.
On Efate, more than half (56%) is still under the hands of indigenous ni-Vanuatu as only 44% of Efate's land mass is leased out while 56.5% of Efate's coastline has already been leased out.
It would be interesting though to research the level of benefits in terms of land rents enjoyed by the landowners/lessors of the 13,815 leases registered in the whole of Vanuatu.
At least, we now have some valuable insight into the land situation in Vanuatu and again congrats to JBE for finally compiling these information.

Levi Tarosa
Lease Consultant