The Port Vila City Council (PVCC) is currently in discussions with Unelco to determine who should take over the management of streetlights in Port Vila, following complaints about non-functioning lights across parts of the capital.

Under a previous agreement, the City Council had taken over full responsibility from Unelco to manage all streetlights in the city, including handling power bills .

However, Town Clerk David Hoppa told VBTC News that The Council of Ministers are now seeking to revise the agreement and potentially hand back streetlight management to Unelco.

Hoppa emphasized the need for consistent lighting in the city to ensure public safety.

“For Port Vila to become a safe and secure city is something the council is committed to. Working with the national government, we want to make sure the city remains safe for everyone. One of our top priorities is ensuring that infrastructure within the city is up to standard,” he said.

He noted that the cost of powering and maintaining the lights is one of the main reasons why some streetlights are currently not operational.

When contacted by VBTC News, Unelco confirmed that the management of streetlights currently remains with the Port Vila City Council.

Discussions over who will officially take over streetlight management are still ongoing.