The citizenship programme is one of Vanuatu's biggest revenue sources. Photo: 123rf
Prime Minister Jotham Napat told Parliament on Thursday that the amendment to the Citizenship Act aims to make the programme fully independent and free from political influence.
He said many political leaders have interfered in the decision-making of the Citizenship Office, and the new amendment seeks to address that issue.
Speaking during the second extraordinary sitting, Prime Minister Napat said, "While government maintains overall policy direction, the citizenship programme must be independent. Recently, some members of this Honourable House have threatened staff of the Citizenship Program, and that's why we want this amendment - to ensure no political interference."
The amendment passed with 36 votes in favour and 10 abstentions from the opposition.
Opposition Leader Ishmael Kalsakau said they support the idea of independence for the Citizenship Office but believe there are other areas that allows room for a Prime Minister to influence decisions.
"The intention is good," he said, "but there are still areas where political control remains. If we want real independence, the law must be clear and complete."
Napat said the government has taken note of the discussions and will continue to strengthen other areas of the program.
Malo/Aore MP Allan Liki, a former secretary-general of the Citizenship Commission, also said there has been too much political interference in the past. He agreed the amendment is a good step but added that "the policy itself must also be completed to make the program more effective."
The Citizenship Programme is one of Vanuatu's biggest revenue sources. In the first eight months of this year alone, it collected around VU$14 billion (approximately NZ$213 million, surpassing the annual target of VU$7 billion (approximately NZ106m).
Under the program, there are 11 Capital Investment Immigration Plan Agents and 55 Development Support Program Agents.
Prime Minister Napat said the strong revenue performance shows the program's success and that the new amendments will help increase transparency, ensure fairness, and protect Vanuatu's reputation by preventing people with criminal records or those on Interpol Red Alerts from gaining citizenship.
All agents assisting with applications will now be required to register and follow stricter procedures.
-VBTC
