Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs has praised Vanuatu's government for taking bold decisions to improve the economic well-being of its people.
Duncan Kerr has just returned from Vanuatu where he launched the Pacific Economic Survey report.
The AusAID-funded report says the economies of several Pacific countries look set to improve despite the likelihood of a global economic slowdown.
Mr Kerr says Vanuatu's government recognises that there is great advantage to opening up services to the global economy.
"And in Vanuatu for example, the opening up of the market to new entrants in telecommunications has meant people can get information quickly from one part of the country to another. All these things improve quality of life opportunities and Vanuatu is benefitting from that as it is from opening up its airline opportunities to new entrants, and they've benefitted substantially in the tourism sector."
Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Duncan Kerr
