Gov’t advances National Packhouse Programme with Santo construction launch

January 13, 2026 10:03 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

The Ministry of Trade and Commerce (MOTC) confirmed yesterday that construction of the Santo National Packhouse has begun, marking a key step in the Government’s National Packhouse Programme.

MOTC Minister Samson Samsen oversaw the opening of construction containers and the start of work at the site, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to delivering this strategic infrastructure in line with national policy.

Minister Samsen acknowledged Prime Minister Jotham Napat for his leadership, and thanked Cabinet, government agencies, contractors, technical partners, and local teams for their role in moving the project swiftly from approval to implementation.

The Santo National Packhouse is a flagship project under a whole-of-Government approach, which prioritises market access before delivering standards-compliant infrastructure.

The MOTC said export access to Australia has already been secured, and the facility will serve both international markets and domestic demand, including national institutions, tourism, and local retail supply.

“The project introduces Dincel structural walling technology to Vanuatu, providing a cyclone-resistant, fire-resistant, and earthquake-resistant system that is lightweight, fast to install, manpower-efficient, and cost-effective,” the MOTC stated. “Local workers have been trained over the past six months in collaboration with Dincel, strengthening national construction capacity and enabling faster rollout of future projects.

“The location of the Packhouse in Santo reflects government policy to position the island as a national economic and logistics hub.

“Investments in airport expansion, road rehabilitation in South Santo, and Santo’s status as the country’s primary agricultural area enable efficient aggregation and distribution of produce across Vanuatu and to export markets.”

Since July last year, consistent exports have been conducted through the Port Vila Packhouse by the Vanuatu Cooperative Business Network (VCBN). The Santo facility is expected to expand national export capacity and improve logistics efficiency.

“Under the National Packhouse Programme, the Government plans a phased rollout: commissioning of the Santo Packhouse by the end of February, followed by Malekula in March and Tanna in June,” the MOTC conveyed.

“This decentralised approach reduces post-harvest losses, lowers transport costs, and strengthens regional economies.

“The Santo National Packhouse demonstrates the Government’s commitment to market-led development, resilient infrastructure, capacity building, and decentralised economic growth, providing tangible benefits to farmers, institutions, and exporters nationwide.”