MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
Australia welcomes the Vanuatu Government's continued commitment to its
Comprehensive Reform Program and stands ready to assist the Vanuatu Government
to advance reform through our development assistance program.
I am particularly impressed by the leadership shown by the Prime Minister,
the Hon Serge Rialuth Vohor, and the bipartisan political support and broad
community support for the reforms.
Maintaining the momentum of the Comprehensive Reform Program (CRP) is
critical. I am pleased to announce that at the annual bilateral aid
consultations, held in Canberra last week, our two Governments agreed that the
needs identified in the CRP Action Plan will be the focus of Australian
assistance.
At the High Level Consultations it was agreed that $12.5 million available
under the Australian aid program to Vanuatuincluding at least an additional $1
million from the AusAID Policy and Management Reform (PMR) fundwill be used to
support a range of CRP priorities including reforming the public sector and
improving financial and economic management. The PMR fund was established two
years ago for just this type of assistanceto help Pacific island governments
that are demonstrating a real commitment to implementing economic and public
sector reforms. I am pleased that Australia has been able to respond positively
to the broad range of requests tabled by the Vanuatu Government at the
consultations.
Australia recognises the magnitude and the urgency of the task facing the
Vanuatu Government in implementing its reform program. In response, we are
providing new technical assistance immediately to ensure critical areas are met
in a timely and effective way.
Importantly, the High Level Consultations also endorsed future Australia
assistance for high priority CRP-related activities in the health, education and
legal sectors. A major health program is well underway and will include a
project to strengthen the Department of Health and the management of hospitals,
nurse practitioner training and the supply of essential equipment. New
initiatives in the education sector will include a teacher training project and
providing secondary school infrastructure to help meet the Vanuatu Government's
CRP national goal of ten year's schooling for all children by the year 2010. New
activities of support for the Vanuatu legal system are also being planned.
PORT VILA
Media contact: Innes Willox (Minister's office, Canberra)
06 277 7500 / 0411 414 695 Geoff Adlide (AusAID Canberra) 06 206 4967
Steve
Hogg (AusAID, Port Vila) 23 341