Out of Vanuatu’s 71 area councils, 54 now have permanent office buildings established with government services, as the government pushes to ensure all councils are completed before the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary in 2030.

The latest was the opening of Tongariki/ Buninga Area Council, leaving only 17 area councils without permanent offices.

With these buildings, Area Administrators are now able to provide services such as ID card printing, bringing government closer to communities.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, said the progress is a key step towards the decentralization of government services.

“Out of the 71 area councils around Vanuatu, only 17 are still without permanent buildings. We are confident that with government and development partners’ support, by our Jubilee, every council will have permanent offices with ID card machines and other essential services,” Napuat said.

At Tongariki-Buninga’s new office, the Department of Civil Registration and Identity Management installed an ID card printer. Previously people from the two islands had to travel to Port Vila for such services.

Area Administrator Donald Firiam said the building is fully equipped.

“It comes with solar power and a new IT system, so now services like birth certificates and ID registration are accessible here on the island,” he said.

Alongside the council building opening, several small but significant community projects were launched on Tongariki, including a community build cement road, anchorage ablution block, rainwater harvesting system.

All the 5 Tongariki villages are located inland and far from the anchorage hence the importance of the anchorage ablution block are road project

Boat captain Mark Torara explained the significance of the ablution block noting that the rough condition of the anchorage landing means passenger normally get wet when disembarking from boat.  

“If you come to the island, you don’t want to go home wet. This small changing house means you can go home dry. That’s why we built it.”

The Tongariki event brought one of the largest delegations ever to visit the island, led by Minister Napuat, Minister of Public Utilities Xavier Harry, Shefa Province President Sam Kiri, and other government leaders.

Minister Napuat said this marks the beginning of a series of visits his ministry will carry out this month to further advance decentralization work