19 Sep 2012

Vanuatu Directors General resign and jobs re-advertised under new contract system

1:30 pm on 19 September 2012

The directors general of Vanuatu government agencies have been forced to resign as the Government implements new legislation switching the positions to performance based contracts.

All the posts are being re-advertised with the aim that new ministry heads will be in place by the beginning of next month.

The Port Vila based Pacific Policy Institute's Derek Brien says the reforms have been driven by the Prime Minister, Sato Kilman, but he says it is too early to say if there will be added political interference under the new system.

Mr Brien says the deciding factor will be how strong the process is.

"The Directors General still remain under the responsibility of the Public Service Commission. The scope for political interference, I suppose, you will have to wait and see how that is played out but you can rest assured that if any officer is removed on ministerial instruction that it will end up in the courts."

The Pacific Policy Institute's Derek Brien