Vanuatu’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity Hosea Nevu has welcomed the announcement by Finance Minister Gaetan Pikioune to increase the copra price from vt 15000 to vt 40 000 per ton.
The new price became effective one 1 December 2018.
The Government decided to increase the price in response to growing concerns and complaints from industry players about the deteriorating copra price.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade had promised to increase the copra price during his last visits to the northern town but has emphasied that Govt financial support should and must be fair to all commodities and not only copra.
Minister Nevu has expressed his satisfaction over the decision and stressed that the Government will continue to work hard to raise more revenue in order to maintain the copra price high in months and years to come.
Photo caption: Ministers Gaetan Pikioune and Hosea Nevu