Member of Parliament for Port Vila Constituency, Hon. Marie Louise, has raised concerns about the bad condition of roads in the capital city. She is calling on the government to take action to fix the problem.

During the first extra ordinary sitting of Parliament, MP Louise pointed out that the roads in Port Vila are getting worse every day, which is causing a lot of public frustration. 

“Port Vila is the capital city of Vanuatu, and 70% of the country’s income comes from here. It is very important that we keep the roads in good condition,” she said. “Before I became an MP, people kept asking, ‘These MPs must be travelling by helicopter and don’t see the state of the roads.’ Now, as an MP, I travel on these same roads. When tourists come, the first thing they see is Port Vila, and it is the face of our country. What is the government’s plan to fix this?”

In response, Hon. Xavier Harry, Minister of Public Works, confirmed that the government is taking action. He announced that China has donated VT2 billion to repair the roads in Port Vila. The government is also working with Australian Aid on a four-year plan for road repairs, and VT120 million has been included in the national budget for road work.

“The repair projects will begin in May,” Minister Harry said, agreeing with MP Louise’s concerns.

Work has already started to fix roads damaged by the recent earthquake, especially in the Central Point area. An officer from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities explained that repairs are focused on cracks along the road from the fuel station at Central Point to NBV. The government is prioritizing these repairs to reopen the town.

These projects are expected to continue in the coming months, with hopes that Port Vila’s roads will soon improve for both locals and visitors.