As part of ongoing national trade reforms, a new institution called the Vanuatu Competition Consumer Commission.

The body will include representatives from Customs, Finance, External Trade, and the Ministry of Trade.

Bettyrose Kaltapau from the Department of External Trade said the Commission is being created to respond to the needs of the private sector and local producers, and will also have the authority to place limits on certain imported goods entering the country.

Bettyrose Kaltapau said:

“The private sectors are the ones who are going to raise their complaints to the government, and it might go to the industry. And when industry hears this and then we come and say there will be a big reform — the Vanuatu Competition Consumer Commission, which is one of the reforms that needed to take place. Because when there are small industries like this, they can raise their concern here and then we go together like a taskforce.”

Local producer Roy Tining said the initiative will help provide fair market access for businesses like his.

Roy Tining said:

“I think it’s good so that there is fairness in the trading system so that we have access to sell our products. Otherwise, some of these products we can’t afford to do it, so we deal with local. But this will be a good chance to be fair to all of us.”