One of the candidates for the French presidency, Jean-Luc Melenchon, says the economic monopolies in New Caledonia have to be broken to curb the high cost of living in the territory.
In interviews with the press in Noumea, the candidate of the Left Front says the system has to come to end that relies on consuming goods produced 20,000 kilometres away.
Mr Melenchon says production has to be relocated and efforts need to be made to have a regional exchange of goods with the Pacific.
He says such a regional integration is needed for New Caledonia to free itself from a colonial-style economic dependence.
