National Trade Committee Meeting To Promote Trade Development

The National Trade Development Committee (NTDC) held its final meeting of the year on 21 November 2016 at the Melanesian hotel Conference room in Port Vila.

The NTDC was chaired by the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, Mr Marokon Alilee.

Convened three times a year since 2012, the NTDC consists of the Private Sector, NGOs, Donor partners, Diplomatic corps and all Director Generals, Directors and Heads of Statutory Bodies responsible for trade-related matters.

One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation on the proposed impact of income tax on businesses and trade. The meeting was informed about the need to raise additional revenue so the Government is able to fund the much needed developments in health, education, and infrastructure as the country engages in a more modernized trading world.

The meeting also heard about the potential impact on wages, prices and investment, as well as detailed plans for how the Government is planning to implement this policy. The Revenue Review Committee is currently undergoing consultation rounds within the provinces so that the people of Vanuatu can hear more about the proposed changes and give their views.

Another highly debated topic was an update on the Luganville Town Beautification Program. The meeting heard about Luganville’s high potential, given both its natural beauty and the wharf reconstruction currently ongoing. However, it was also noted that there is a strong need to improve the infrastructure of Luganville so that the benefits could be fully realised. Such an improvement would both improve the lives of the Luganville residents and mean that the town would be able to better cater for the cruise ship tourists who are expected once the wharf has been completed. The meeting had a productive discussion on how the National Government can assist Luganville with this project.

In the remaining sessions, NTDC was updated on the draft Competition Policy; the development of the tourism sector in Vanuatu; and the regular updates on past decisions of the NTDC, on previously approved Aid-for-Trade projects, and on the status of the implementation of trade policies.

The next meeting of the NTDC is scheduled for 15 March 2017 and is expected to expand the NTDC’s coverage of issues to other important trade-related matters. The Trade Development Division of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business is the Secretariat for the NTDC.