Vanuatu PM berates civil servants' tardiness

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has ordered all government workers to be at their desks and working at 8 am sharp.

He said he wouldn’t tolerate seeing government employees waiting outside for locked offices to be opened up.

"I have agreed to pay you well and I also expect you to deliver on your job descriptions", he said.

Mr Salwai has also called on all department directors to ensure they don't turn away members of the public seeking answers.

"I don't want to hear the usual phrase 'mi no save' (I don't know) that Government employees use to tell people who ask questions", said Mr Salwai.

He said he wanted to see a mentality change where people come to work not to earn a salary but to serve the best interests of the country.