Santo West Coast Area Council Headquarter opens in Wusi

November 26, 2024 9:49 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now Twitter Facebook

The Santo West Coast Area Council Headquarters was officially opened on 26th of November 2024, marking a noteworthy advancement in the national Government’s vision of decentralisation and increased engagement with local communities.

The official opening was led by the President of SANMA Provincial Government Council (SPGC), Bradley Livo, Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA), Leith Veremaito, Assistant Secretary General (SG) of SPGC, Carol Rovo, the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) Director, Nicholas Venables, representing the Australian High Commission, the Vanuatu Skills Partnership (VSP), through its SANMA Skills Centre Manager, Simeon Bage and staff, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Government representatives within the Department of Local Authorities (DLA).

The construction of the building was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the government of Vanuatu through the SPGC and the Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation Project 2, the government of Australia through the VSP’s SANMA Skills Centre under the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the APTC, and the Santo West Coast Area Council and Wusi Community.

The partnership between the government of Vanuatu and Australia and the community, demonstrated a mutual commitment to building resilient local governance structures through local expertise. This milestone will also bring essential government services closer to the people, fostering greater accessibility and inclusivity.

During the opening ceremony of the council building, DG Veremaito, stated, “The West Coast Area Council embodies our commitment to decentralisation and bringing the government closer to the people.

“This facility is not just a building; it represents the strong partnership between all parties, resilience, and the power of skills development at the community level.”

With an emphasis on capacity development of rural communities, the building construction company contracted was composed of locals from the Santo West Coast Area Council.

These local villagers were previously trainees in a national accredited qualification of Certificate II in Building Construction, delivered by APTC at Wusi Village. After completing their training, these 25 individuals, including 5 women, were supported by the SANMA Skills Centre to establish their own business, Nojavan Construction Company.

The Santo West Coast Area Council building project provided an exciting opportunity for this locally owned business, to get hands-on experience on an actual building project, with support and supervision from dedicated APTC trainers.

The newly established facility will serve multiple purposes including being the service hub of government and administration services, being an evacuation centre in times of cyclones and provide employment and opportunities to boost the local economy.

The Government of Australia remains a close partner of the Vanuatu Government to bring its decentralisation agenda into reality.