Parametric insurance industry off to a rough start in Vanuatu

Two insurance companies have exited Vanuatu, impacting beneficiaries and the burgeoning parametric insurance industry. Noeline W. Viro of the Insurance Supervision Unit of the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, says that while

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Air Vanuatu liquidation nears final stages with August deadline

Air Vanuatu (Operations) Limited (Ltd) entered liquidation on 9 May 2024 and Ernst and Young (EY) were appointed as Liquidators. 09 June marked one month since the liquidation, and Tuesday, 9 July, marked two months.

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Vanuatu prime minister visits Huawei, views policing technology

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visited technology company Huawei in Shenzhen and viewed surveillance technology used to enhance policing and reduce criminal activity, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit Director’s contract terminated

The Office of the Attorney General in Vanuatu has confirmed that Floyd Ray Mera’s contract as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been terminated.  This follows his suspension on 16 October,

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Qantas and Jetstar launch direct flights to Vanuatu

Qantas and Jetstar have announced they will commence operating up to nine return flights each week between Australia and Vanuatu, with the new seats going on sale across both carriers this week. Starting on 10 September

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‘Stop the violence and killing against Kanaky people’: Vanuatu MPs from Tafea Province

Eight Members of Vanuatu Parliament from Tafea Province have made a bold and powerful call to the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to stop the violence and killing being committed against the Kanaky

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Vanuatu’s Citizenship Commission defends granting citizenship to convicted Australian entrepreneur

Vanuatu’s Citizenship Commission says convicted Australian entrepreneur cleared the necessary checks before he was granted citizenship and given a Vanuatu passport.  Andrew Spira was granted citizenship

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Opinion: How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution

With lagoons once choked by rubbish, pressure from the appalled community led the government to ban certain single-use products. For generations, the people of Erakor village in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu would pass

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EU pushes for suspension of Vanuatu visa-waiver programme

An advisor to the Vanuatu government says the European Commission is pushing through with a suspension of its visa-waiver programme with the Pacific country despite concessions made by the government. The European

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Vanuatu voters support constitutional change to end political instability

Vanuatu has voted to change its constitution in a bid to end years of political instability, results of the Pacific nation’s first national referendum showed on Wednesday. A grassroots push to alter the

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Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority (VMSA) Partners with Quality Solutions on ISO9001 Certification

In endeavoring to improve its core internal processes and international credibility as a Maritime Regulator, the VMSA has today signed an agreement with local consulting firm, Quality Solutions, to assist it to obtain

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Fiji Airways interested in reviving Port Vila, Tanna and Santo flights

Vanuatu deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Matai Seremaiah, has announced that Fiji Airways is interested in connecting Port Vila to Tanna and Port Vila to Santo flights via an ATR, ensuring

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Air Vanuatu to lose 170 staff as liquidators try to save embattled airline

Nearly 200 people have lost their jobs as liquidators restructure Air Vanuatu to reduce the embattled airline’s operating costs.  Approximately 170 staff members have been made redundant as liquidators try to

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Vanuatu women stump Zimbabwe in World Cricket Qualifier

A decade after its women’s cricket debut, Vanuatu’s women’s cricket team defeated 12th-ranked Zimbabwe in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi in April. It was the first for a Vanuatu team to

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Qantas pounces on Vanuatu as its flag carrier flounders

Qantas and Jetstar are looking to move in on Australia-Vanuatu services following the collapse of flag carrier Air Vanuatu.  The Flying Kangaroo has applied for 1,798 seats per week in each direction for five years,

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New Caledonia and Vanuatu withdraw from FestPAC amid deadly unrest

A festival planner announced Monday that a Pacific country and an island territory of France have withdrawn their participation in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.  The announcement comes as Hawaii is

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Liquidators say a ‘clearly’ broke Air Vanuatu owes at least $99m

Air Vanuatu administrators say the airline was “clearly not in a position to meet its financial commitments” well before it collapsed earlier this month, and is more than $99 million (US$66 million) short of being

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Property owner to appeal emergency order after 40 fruit pickers from Vanuatu found living in one Tasmanian house

About 40 fruit pickers from Vanuatu were found living in a “cramped, hot and crowded” dwelling in north-west Tasmania where the fire safety risk was “obvious”.  The kitchen had only one working burner, and some

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Vanuatu PM discloses $2 billion fund diversion, Airline crisis unveiled

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has revealed that the Vanuatu Government’s VT2 billion (US$8.3 million) budget allocated for a new plane was instead used to pay for the lease of the ATR72 aircraft. 

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Air Vanuatu: Ernst & Young appointed voluntary liquidators, Fiji Airways boosts capacity to Vanuatu

Ernst & Young Australia have been appointed as Voluntary Liquidators of Air Vanuatu (Operations) Limited. This follows the airline’s cancellation of around 20 flights to and from New Zealand, Australia and

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Air Vanuatu grounds flights after reportedly going into administration, Board dissolved

Air Vanuatu has cancelled or adjusted some 20 flights to and from New Zealand, Australia and Nouméa after reportedly being placed into administration. Cancelled flights include services from Port Vila to Auckland on

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Vanuatu celebrates top ranking in Happy Planet Index

Vanuatu is proud to announce its achievement of ranking number one out of over 150 countries worldwide on the Happy Planet Index (HPI), for the second time since the index was first published in 2006.  Two Government

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Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) appoints new chairperson and deputy chairperson 

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Adela Issachar Aru as its new Board Chairperson. The SPTO Board of Directors endorsed the announcement of Aru as the new Chairperson at

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Ni-Vanuatu workers in Australian prisons: Minister

Vanuatu’s Minister for Internal Affairs, Johnny Koanapo, has revealed that many Ni-Vanuatu citizens are currently in prisons in Australia for a wide range of offences, varying from what he described as “very

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