Gov’t allocates VT1 billion for CBD road maintenance
August 21, 2025 9:28 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Nicholas Mwai.
The Vanuatu Government has allocated VT 1 billion to repair and maintain roads in the Central Business District (CBD) of Port Vila, Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat announced during a press conference on Wednesday. The funding is aimed at addressing long-standing frustrations from residents over deteriorating road conditions.
PM Napat acknowledged the growing complaints from the public, particularly from those living and working in Port Vila and other urban centres.
“I understand every frustration of every citizen, particularly those who live in Port Vila and other parts of the country,” he said. “But the government has already allocated VT1 billion to address the potholes within our CBD.”
The PM explained that delays in addressing the issue were largely due to the country’s reliance on imported materials.
“Most of the materials that we use are sourced from outside of the country, and that’s why it takes time,” he said.
“As of the 19th of this month, I met with officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (MIPU), and they have finalised a rollout plan to repair potholes in the CBD and extend work to the Efate Ring Road.”
He mentioned that work will commence as soon as weather conditions improve.
“We are waiting for this weather — once it’s fine, then maintenance work will start,” Napat stated.
Despite financial and logistical constraints, the PM assured the public of the government’s commitment to improving road infrastructure.
“The resources the government has to distribute across ministries are very limited,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a dedicated maintenance budget. Most road repairs have been funded through allocations from the Ministry of Finance to MIPU, which sometimes is not enough.”
To ensure long-term sustainability, the government is now moving to establish a dedicated road maintenance fund. The proposal, which has received in-principle approval from the Council of Ministers (COM), aims to make road maintenance a regular, annual programme instead of waiting for roads to deteriorate.
“It’s not good if we keep building roads without a maintenance fund, because then they will start to fall apart again,” PM Napat emphasised. “The government is taking proactive steps to create a specific fund to maintain our roads, ensuring regular upkeep as part of an annual programme.”
