Gov’t eyes mining as a revenue stream
November 12, 2025 11:09 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Anita Roberts.
The government is considering the mining of natural resources, like gold and other minerals, as a potential revenue source to support economic growth.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Rick Tchamako Mahe, said that the Council of Ministers (COM) has approved for the government to explore mining as a new revenue option due to challenges with existing streams.
He was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Santo Rural, Robson Iavro, during Oral Question time in Parliament about the potential of mining as a revenue stream given the presence of certain types of rocks in the inland areas of Santo.
While there is information about gold being present in some islands, further study is needed to determine the types of minerals present and to assess how much the country wants to extract, he said.
The Prime Minister (PM), Jotham Napat, who also responded to MP Iavro’s question pointed out that some individuals have been granted exploration licenses in Vanuatu but they have not disclose their findings.
He said there is currently no specific legislation in place to guide the government in such activities, particularly when it comes to accessing customary land for mineral extraction.
The PM said policies must be developed to address hurdles that will arise when the government begins mining exploration.
Minister Mahe said if Vanuatu decides to extract its natural resources for revenue, it must do it in a sustainable way.
He announced that a new legislation on mining will be introduced during the First Ordinary Session of Parliament that will provide guidance on the distribution of royalties to custom landowners to ensure fair benefits.
The minister for natural resources said its an advantage that Vanuatu has not yet ventured into mining, and if it moves forward with it, it be able to learn from the experiences of neighbouring countries like Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, and Fiji.
