Ambitious Vanuatu shipping programme under way

With over 80 volcanic islands, 65 of which are inhabited, the archipelago of Vanuatu is accessible mostly by boat. A robust shipping service is therefore essential for its 240,000 inhabitants, 80% of which live in the outer islands or in rural areas.

Ni Vanuatu regularly travel from island to island and between outer islands and urban centres. They are heavily dependent on inter island shipping services for food, fuel and medical supplies, and transporting produce to regional markets.

Domestic shipping services are largely operated by small, independent shipping companies. Service schedules are often poorly maintained, and it is not uncommon for services to be cancelled at short notice or suspended for long periods.  In addition wharves and jetties in some areas are in such poor condition that ships cannot berth, forcing cargo and passengers to be offloaded into small 'lighter' boats, causing delays and safety issues while cargo is transported through sometimes heavy surf to shore.

These problems mean it is difficult for rural producers to get their commodities to markets, and for people to access social services like health and education.

In recognition of the importance of shipping to Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Inter Island Shipping Support Programme (VISSP) is now under way. It is a joint project, identified by the government of Vanuatu and supported by the New Zealand  Aid Programme and Asian Development Bank. It is New Zealand's largest ever investment in infrastructure in Vanuatu.

Three components to the programme will run concurrently:

  • The infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation of eight wharves and jetties with capability to manage the transit of     passengers and their cargo
  • The Shipping Support Scheme which will provide subsidies and support to enable ships to regularly visit,  provision and transport people to and from remote and outer island routes.
  • Maritime safety and regulatory reform to considerably improve capability and capacity for maritime safety compliance.

"This project is all about re-connecting people in rural and remote areas to health and education services and markets in other parts of Vanuatu and the region," said Rishi Adhar, Project team leader. "It's modelled on the successes of similar projects in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands."

Vanuatu Project Management Unit,
Prime Minister's Office,
Rue Emmanuel Brunet P.O Box 192, Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tel: (+678) 33240     Vanuatu Government VOIP: 1093
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