The Management of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation is concerned about the continuing circulation of inaccurate and damaging claims about the Corporation on social media.
Some allegations being made are serious, yet many are presented without supporting facts or credible evidence and create a misleading picture of VBTC, its Management and the work being undertaken.
The people of Vanuatu deserve to know the facts.
VBTC has undergone significant change in recent years. There was a time when the Corporation faced serious financial, operational and organisational challenges, compounded by an erosion of accountability, professional standards and organisational discipline.
While challenges remain, VBTC today is in a much stronger position.
This transformation has not simply been about improving our finances. It has been about rebuilding integrity, accountability, professionalism and pride in the organisation. It has required difficult decisions, stronger management and governance, financial discipline, and confronting practices and behaviours that could no longer be accepted in a properly managed State-Owned Enterprise.
At the centre of this transformation is one principle that Management considers non-negotiable: integrity.
Integrity means being honest about our successes as well as our shortcomings. It means accepting responsibility when we get things wrong, correcting our mistakes and continually striving to do better. It means respecting the policies and standards of the Corporation, using public resources responsibly and putting the interests of VBTC and the people of Vanuatu ahead of individual or personal agendas.
VBTC will not return to the practices of the past. Integrity is fundamental to the organisation we are building, and there can be no compromise on that principle. These standards apply to everyone—from Management to every employee of the Corporation.
Today, VBTC has a young and dedicated workforce helping to build the future of broadcasting in Vanuatu. Management will continue investing in employees who work honestly, accept constructive feedback, acknowledge their shortcomings, take responsibility for improving their performance and remain committed to VBTC’s strategic priorities.
VBTC does not expect its people to be perfect. It does expect them to act with integrity.
VBTC has invested significantly in its people over many years. Some who now publicly criticise the Corporation have themselves benefited from VBTC through training, professional development, experience and opportunities that have contributed to where they are professionally today.
We do not begrudge anyone their success. We are proud when people developed by VBTC go on to achieve greater things. But it is disappointing when VBTC’s contribution to that development is disregarded while an inaccurate or one-sided account of the Corporation is presented publicly.
The public should also understand that not everyone who is no longer employed by VBTC left simply because of differences with Management. In some instances, employment ended following established processes relating to breaches of Corporation policies, failure to meet required professional standards or unacceptable workplace behaviour.
Accountability should not be portrayed as victimisation simply because someone disagrees with being held responsible for their conduct or performance.
Management is equally concerned that some current employees may be contributing to, supporting or encouraging efforts to discredit the achievements of the Corporation and its Management.
VBTC respects the right of employees to hold different views, question decisions and raise legitimate concerns. Constructive criticism has an important place in any organisation, and Management must always be prepared to listen.
But there is a clear distinction between raising legitimate concerns in good faith and deliberately circulating, encouraging or supporting false or misleading information intended to undermine the Corporation.
There is no place within VBTC for personal agendas that are placed ahead of the interests of the Corporation and the people we serve.
Where credible information suggests an employee has acted contrary to their professional responsibilities or VBTC policies, the matter will be addressed fairly through established processes. No employee will be judged simply for raising a legitimate concern, but every employee is expected to act honestly, responsibly and with integrity.
Our priority is not to fight with people on social media.
Our priority is the future of VBTC.
We are investing in broadcasting infrastructure, developing our people, improving our services, strengthening our national reach and pursuing opportunities to make the Corporation more financially sustainable.
Management welcomes the appointment of the new Board of Directors and looks forward to working constructively and transparently with the Board. We are ready to provide the Board with the information it requires, to account for the decisions and actions of Management, and to support the Board in exercising its governance and oversight responsibilities.
We see the new Board as an opportunity to build on the progress already achieved, critically assess where VBTC can do better and work together on the strategic priorities that will determine the Corporation’s future. Management will approach that relationship in good faith, with openness, professionalism and respect for the respective responsibilities of the Board and Management.
As a State-Owned Enterprise and Vanuatu’s National Broadcaster, we have a responsibility to manage public resources properly, maintain high standards of governance and accountability, and deliver a trusted and effective broadcasting service to the people of Vanuatu.
Management is proud of the progress achieved, but we recognise there is much more work to do.
Integrity must work both ways. VBTC must be prepared to account for its decisions, performance and use of public resources. Equally, those making serious allegations about the Corporation should be prepared to support their claims with facts and evidence.
We will not allow misinformation, unsupported allegations or personal agendas—whether originating from outside or within VBTC—to distract our people from the work ahead.
We know where VBTC has come from. We know the challenges we have overcome. We know there is more work to do. And we know the kind of organisation we are determined to build.
Our focus remains clear: work constructively with our Board, act with integrity, strengthen VBTC, invest in our people, deliver our strategic priorities and build a National Broadcaster that the people of Vanuatu can trust and be proud of.
VBTC MANAGEMENT
