Immigration Office in Torba Province has collected more than VT1 million in passport application fees since its launch in November last year.

August marks the 10th month of operations for the office, which has registered more than 70 new applicants. Immigration officer Gauthier Arknaveth told VBTC News that the service has made a big difference for people in the province.

“Since we started this office till now, we have registered over 70 new passport applicants and collected over 1 million vatu in fees, which has gone to Finance,” he said.

The cost of applying for a passport is VT20,000. Previously, applicants from Torba had to travel to Port Vila or Santo, spending more than VT70,000 on travel and related expenses.

Arknaveth said the decentralisation plan by government has given people in remote areas easier access to essential services.

“This is a golden chance for people in remote islands to access services they didn’t have before,” he said.

However, he added that challenges remain, especially transport difficulties for islanders needing to reach the provincial headquarters in Sola.

“Transport is still a problem because our islands are far away from Sola, and many families face financial issues,” Arknaveth explained.

Despite these challenges, the officer urged people in Torba to make use of the opportunity to access passport services closer to home.