Andrew Solomon Napuat

In his address to the Secretaries General and Planners of the Provincial Councils, Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat, highlighted setbacks and provided the present Government solutions to what he termed as long-term obstacles, and hindering factors that have paralyzed and held up government services in the decentralization process to the ‘grassroots’ people of Vanuatu.

Some of the issues and stumbling blocks that the Minister of Internal Affairs pointed out are: The duplication of services to the same people in the rural areas by the Government and the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); Government ministries and departments in Port Vila withholding funds appropriated by parliament that are supposed to go to the provincial councils and down to the Area Councils and to the people; only a trickle of services go to the rural population in the provinces and the rural areas while all other services are centered in Port Vila and Luganville; lack of effective communication at national, provincial and area Council authorities; lack of proper planning and coordination of government services in different government sectors and all other services of the Government and its authorities; Area Councils still struggling to establish permanent sites in some areas and islands because of land issues; lack of providing educated and qualified staff to the provinces and Area Councils, weak structures in provincial and area councils; lack of cooperation amongst staff of different departments based in the provinces, area councils and the national government; lack of consistency in reporting to the national government of the problem issues and development needs at the Provincial and Area Council levels; lack of maintaining closer and regular contact with the grassroot people to understand their needs; lack of prioritizing the needs of the grassroot level population, lack of close monitoring system so as to better analyze the problem issues and provide direct satisfactory solutions to those problems in order to bring about solutions for quality and healthy life for the people of Vanuatu in the rural areas; government ministries and departments not working closely with nor through the Ministry of Provincial Councils; government ministries and departments spend more efforts in Port Vila rather than spending higher percentage of their efforts on rural development and population; recruitments for jobs concentrated in Port Vila and Luganville leaving out a high percentage of school leavers living in the rural areas, continue to increase number of unemployment; masses of population do not know is happening in the national nor the provincial government because of lack of proper dissemination of information on government policies; people in the rural areas do not have information on what all the government and NGOs are doing; rural population do not receive equity and quality services; lack of sharing of resources such as vehicles, office facilities, communication facilities.

Minister Napuat also voiced his concern that workers in the rural areas may not be getting right employment treatment as those in the urban sectors, while already the first quarter of 2018 is faced with complaints by the population of Vanuatu of the increased value added tax (VAT) of 15%.

As Minister Napuat highlighted the issues facing the decentralization policy and the provincial and area councils, he at the same time provided what he believes to be the solutions to these long standing issues that have blocked the government service deliveries that are expected by the people at the grassroot levels.

First, the Minister confirmed to the Secretaries and the Planners of the Provincial Councils that the national parliament had passed Vt100 Million budget to be injected into the Provincial and Area Council development goals including the running of the councils.

He confirmed that the Government, through the ministry, has given approval for the area councils to establish full-time permanent posts for ‘Administrators’ in all 72 Area Councils across the 6 Provincial Councils.

He also confirmed that his ministry will work with the Police Service Commission to encourage 72 new police recruits to come from the 72 Area Councils so that after training, they will be posted in their respective rural areas that they know best and can work closely with the Chiefs and local authorities.

On the issue of duplication of projects in the rural Vanuatu, the new Minister for Internal Affairs assured the Provincial Secretaries and Planners that he will ensure no more such duplication of projects are undertaken by the government agencies and the NGOs.

He said there is no longer room for this kind of activities of people going into the rural population of Vanuatu and doing their own things without proper consultation with the Provincial Council Secretaries and Planners.

There must be proper plans such as what type of projects such as cattle farming, vegetable farming, fish farming and any economic development should be fitted in what areas or land suitable for such projects.

The government cannot just allow any development projects to emerge anywhere and everywhere without proper planning.

The Minister instructed the Provincial Secretaries and Planners that when they return to their provinces at the end of the three-day workshop, they must begin to carry out certain tasks.

This includes talking to the government ministries in Port Vila to channel all funds intended for the Provinces and Area Councils and appropriated by parliament to go to the Provinces to start using in the development projects and goals in the provinces, islands, villages for the economic and social advancement of the population of Vanuatu; start the practice of submitting monthly report to the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the Director General on all development taking place in the rural areas, screen and control NGOs that want to assist with rural development projects but then seek the national government or other funding to carry out such projects causing duplication of work, funds, time and other resources in doing so, find out if staff of all government agencies are also facing financial difficulties as a result of the Government Remuneration Tribunal policy and to bring this to the attention of the Ministry and the National Government.

“If the public servants face financial difficulties because of the GRT policy introduction then it means that their families and children will be affected, the officers and staff will be affected and this will have effect in their work and become a setback instead of being more productive,” says Minister Napuat.

“It is my priority for the government public servants in Provincial Councils and all government agencies in the Provinces and at Area Council level to make sure staff and their families and children are happy and satisfy with their remunerations and benefits.

“When you return to your Provinces, give it a priority to check every government staff in all government agencies to make sure they are not faced with hardships as a result of the GRT,” Minister Napuat emphasized.

He said if there are any discrepancies, this must be immediately reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be taken up with the national government.

Minister Napuat said funds from national budget that was appropriated by parliament and intended for Provincial Councils and Area Council running of the Councils and projects must not be hold back by the national government because the funds could be used by Ministries and Departments in Port Vila for virement and used for wrong purposes instead of the programs and projects intended for in the Provincial and Area Councils programs and development projects.

He called on the Provincial Secretaries and Planners not to be afraid to make changes where changes needed to advance economic and social welfare of the population in the rural areas.

“The purpose of this workshop and you being here today is that at the end of the workshop and upon your return to your provinces, do not be afraid to make the changes for the betterment of the rural population of Vanuatu.

“As a Minister responsible for Decentralization and Provincial and Area Councils, I count on each and all of you to start making changes wherever that requires when you return to your provinces,” Napuat urged.

The Internal Affairs Minister also revealed that subject to the Council of Minister’s decision, some agencies of the government should be planning to establish their offices in the provinces, nonetheless the government through the ministry of internal affairs is taking the lead to decentralize it services and offices to the provinces.

The structure of the government is ‘top heavy’ and it is recommended that more officers should be transferred to the provinces to work and serve the people in the provinces so that only a few policy makers remain in the offices in Vila.

In this way, the minister said, educated and qualified public servants will have to be based with the departments in the provinces, therefore providing direct services to the mass population of Vanuatu, instead of every service being centralized in the capital Port Vila.

“Every public servant is important in whatever positions they hold today. You are special in your profession and I count on you.

“You are here today to make changes that need to be made for the good of our people and country. Therefore, we must narrow the gap and make the Government work closely with the people even to the remotest part of Vanuatu,” says Minister Napuat in his official opening remarks.

Present during the event were the Director General (DG) in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Cherol Ala, the First Political Advisor in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, George Naunun, and the Director of the Department of Provincial Affairs, Ben Tabi.

source:Vanuatu daily post