The same old CR?P

September 16, 2016 11:46 am | Posted in Features

Nik Soni asks if we’re about to repeat the sins of the past

Two decades ago Vanuatu was in crisis. The Government, the National Provident Fund and the National Bank had run out of money. Around the region there was similar financial turmoil, and in their desperation many countries turned to the international community for help. The solution was to borrow more, introduce new taxes, spend less and sell the nation’s assets.

In a word: ‘austerity’.

This house has three Pillars

September 16, 2016 11:45 am | Posted in Features

Vanuatu’s new strategic plan presents an inclusive vision for development. But is it too inclusive?

In October of 2013, a high-level gathering occurred that now seems set to define the progress of the nation for a generation.

The Taxman Cometh

August 4, 2016 2:26 pm | Posted in Features

Are Vanuatu‘s days as a tax haven numbered?

Before sunset we sat in a circle to drink kava. My friend Tim passed around some smol kaekae to wash away the taste. Gathered for a fundraiser to help a friend pay her daughter’s school fees, we chatted as group of children played nearby. Who belonged to which parent? Later, a plate of chicken legs and island cabbage followed – for everyone.

A Fairy Tale ending?

July 1, 2016 3:03 pm | Posted in Features

Ugly duckling, Goldilocks, Or Alice through the looking glass? How will Vanuatu’s economic story unfold?

Like Cinderella casting off her rags before the ball, Vanuatu is intent on writing itself a new story. Gone is the mindset that told us to sell the cow for a handful of beans. Today, we’re undergoing a transformation— an unprecedented level of infrastructure and development investment. But one lingering question remains: Are we Goldilocks getting things just right, or are we Alice, about to tumble down the rabbit hole?

Room to Grow

June 16, 2016 10:30 am | Posted in Features

At first glance, the new Luganville wharf looks like a vast expanse of nothing. But that’s kind of the point.

Roughly 7,000 cubic metres of earth were moved in the construction process, and by the time construction is finished in June next year, the contractor will have constructed or refurbished 20 separate structures.