‘Put yourself in building owners’ shoes’
February 18, 2025 10:19 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Kizzy Kalsakau & Anita Roberts.
The Mayor of Port Vila City Council (PVCC), Jenny Tasale Regenvanu, urged the government and all citizens to put themselves in the shoes of building owners and understand the challenges they face.
Mayor Regenvanu made the appeal after the Prime Minister (PM), Jotham Napat, warned building owners to follow government instructions and demolish their earthquake-damaged properties promptly for the town’s reopening.
He said if they fail to comply, the government could cancel their land lease, demolish their properties, and require them to repair the costs. He said the government is prepared to spent money in such cases.
“These are some of the issues we must discuss openly, and it’s important that this is made clear to you. We cannot allow a single building to stop the reopening of our town,” said the PM.
He added that he wants to see the town reopen immediately.
When providing an update to the public on Capital FM107 yesterday, Mayor Regenvanu explained that the delay in reopening the town is to ensure citizens’ safety.
“It’s a big disaster we’ve never faced before, and it will take time to demolish and recover. Everyone is working very hard, but I don’t think one week is enough. There are still aftershocks, which is a concern for reopening access to people around town,” she said.
“For PVCC, we see that we should not rush to reopen. We understand that businesses and employees are affected, but at the same time, lives are important.
“Building owners are also required to find their private engineers to conduct a second assessment, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (MIPU) should issue a certificate once the assessments are done.”
More than 20 buildings in the Port Vila Central Business District (CBD) are to be demolished for being structurally unsafe. According to the Town Clerk David Hopa, owners are given 28 days to demolish their buildings.
He said demolition is an expensive task for owners, who must talk to insurance companies. If insurance covers only 10 to 15%, the owner will need to find other sources of funding, he said.
“Some of the buildings have been here since independence. I think the 28 days given to building owners is not enough. Put yourself in the shoes of a business owner-they’ve invested in Vanuatu’s economy. You remove their properties, and then what? It will affect the whole economy,” said the Mayor.
Clerk Hopa also said that for some buildings, the Environment Department needs to confirm whether they contain asbestos, which could pose a risk to public health.
The mayor said they are working on imposing some restrictions once the route from Moorings to Bred Bank is reopened.
