Ni-Vanuatu living in the provinces could soon access police clearance services closer to home, with the Government announcing plans to decentralise the service as part of broader efforts to improve access to essential public services.
Minister of Internal Affairs Andrew Napuat said the necessary equipment has now arrived in Vanuatu, allowing the Vanuatu Police Force to begin installing systems in provincial centres over the coming months.
He said the initiative is aimed at reducing the need for people to travel to Port Vila simply to obtain a police clearance certificate.
“One of the important developments we are progressing with the Vanuatu Police Force is the decentralisation of police clearance services to the provinces. We have been waiting for the required equipment, and now that it has arrived, police officers will begin installing the systems in provincial centres over the coming months. This will allow people to apply for police clearance closer to home instead of travelling to Port Vila.”
Minister Napuat explained that while applications and records will continue to be processed through Police Headquarters in Port Vila, completed police clearance certificates will be sent electronically to provincial offices where they can be printed and collected locally.
He said this is the first step under the Government’s decentralisation policy, with plans to eventually extend the service to selected Area Councils.
The announcement has been welcomed by seasonal workers who currently spend significant time and money travelling to complete the required documentation before leaving for overseas employment.
Ham Benemes, a seasonal worker from Motalava who has worked in New Zealand for nearly 11 seasons since 2015, said obtaining a police clearance remains one of the biggest challenges for workers from the outer islands.
“One of our biggest challenges is having to travel to Santo to obtain a police clearance and complete our medical checks. It is expensive, and many of us have to stay with relatives for two or three months while waiting to complete the process. If police clearance services become available in the provinces, it will remove a huge burden on seasonal workers and their families.”
Benemes also expressed hope that medical examinations required for seasonal workers could one day be decentralised as well, allowing workers to complete both requirements closer to home.
He noted that more than 200 workers from Motalava alone participate in seasonal employment programmes, and easier access to these services would greatly reduce costs and waiting times.
