News

A consultation draft of Vanuatu’s National Competition Policy prepared by PSDI was presented at a public workshop hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business on 12 October.

George Borugu, Acting Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, opened the workshop and the draft was presented by PSDI Competition Experts Andrew Simpson and Brent Fisse.

Mr Borugu used the workshop to call for public consultation on the draft policy, with businesses and consumers invited to submit comments and feedback until 31 October.

Following the meeting, the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, Marokon Alilee, stressed the importance of the policy.

“With this policy, the Government is looking to recognize the importance of competition and establish the high-level principles to guide the promotion of competition. The policy builds on the direction provided in Vanuatu’s development strategy, the Priorities Action Agenda, which highlighted the lack of competition in several key markets as a serious impediment to development.”

The draft policy aims to chart a course for better consumer protection, liberalization of markets, and safeguards for the competitive process in Vanuatu. Consultation on it follows an earlier round of consultation held over August and September on the Public Issues Paper on Competition Policy and Law for Vanuatu, which PSDI also prepared.

The Government of Vanuatu requested support from PSDI in developing a competition and consumer policy in 2015. Following consultation on the draft policy, it is expected that a National Competition Policy will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for consideration and endorsement later this year.

The consultation draft of the policy can be viewed here.