Latest news with #VanuatuDailyPost
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Vanuatu Citizenship Office Hits Back At Tate Report
The Citizenship Office and Commission said Andrew Tate's application was considered genuine, based on clearances from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, and UK police. RNZ Pacific The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission has hit back at a report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on its golden passport scheme. The OCCRP report focused on citizenship granted to self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate after it was revealed he allegedly received a Vanuatu passport. A government spokesperson had told the ABC it was investigating the matter. 'We're definitely looking into it and once we have the files, definitely the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship,' he said. In response, the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission chairman, Charles Maniel, told the Vanuatu Daily Post it can't carry out any revocation until allegations are proven by a court of law. Then, in a press statement responding to the OCCRP report, the Citizenship Office and Commission said Tate's application for Vanuatu citizenship was approved on 15 December 2022. It said the application was considered genuine, based on clearances from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, and UK police, his country of origin, at the time citizenship was granted. 'The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission reject the report issued by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which claims that Mr. Tate was under high-profile investigation in the United Kingdom when applying for Vanuatu citizenship,' the statement read. But the Vanuatu Daily Post reported that a spokesperson from OCCRP stated the Vanuatu citizenship commission's response to OCCRP's reporting was factually inaccurate. 'Our reporting shows that Andrew Tate was granted Vanuatu citizenship while under criminal investigation by Romanian – not UK – authorities on rape and human trafficking charges,' the spokesperson said. 'His Vanuatu passport was issued while he was in detention in a Romanian jail. This was covered in global media at the time and was publicly accessible information in Vanuatu.' The Citizenship Office and Commission reiterated that, at the time Tate applied for Vanuatu citizenship, he submitted a clear police record. The authorities also noted that their designated agency, NXT Citizen, has remained compliant with the Citizenship Act and related regulations for over five years. But it said that 'if there is sufficient evidence that Mr Tate has been convicted by a court of law' , the Commission will revoke his Vanuatu citizenship without delay. Report into citizenship scheme Meanwhile, Vanuatu's opposition leader says the government must immediately release the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the country's Citizenship Programme. The report was handed to the Justice Minister last week. Former prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau told the Vanuatu Daily Post the people deserve to know what has been uncovered. The Commission of inquiry, which ran for nearly a year, was investigating allegations of corrupt practices within the passport and citizenship schemes. Under the Development Support Program, applicants can be granted citizenship for a minimum investment of $US$130,000. Prime Minister Jotham Napat, through his public relations officer, said the standard procedure requires that the report must first be presented to the Council of Ministers. The Daily Post contacted a government minister, who confirmed the report was set to be presented to the Council this week. The passport programme has caused concern for some time. It has affected its visa-free access to the UK and to the European Parliament's Schengen area. The Daily Post reported the inquiry followed public outrage and claims of systemic abuse involving the sale of passports and misuse of the programme for personal and political gain. Kalsakau said making the findings public is essential for transparency and accountability.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Vanuatu Citizenship Office Hits Back At Tate Report
Article – RNZ The Citizenship Office and Commission said Andrew Tate's application was considered genuine, based on clearances from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, and UK police. RNZ Pacific The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission has hit back at a report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on its golden passport scheme. The OCCRP report focused on citizenship granted to self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate after it was revealed he allegedly received a Vanuatu passport. A government spokesperson had told the ABC it was investigating the matter. 'We're definitely looking into it and once we have the files, definitely the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship,' he said. In response, the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission chairman, Charles Maniel, told the Vanuatu Daily Post it can't carry out any revocation until allegations are proven by a court of law. Then, in a press statement responding to the OCCRP report, the Citizenship Office and Commission said Tate's application for Vanuatu citizenship was approved on 15 December 2022. It said the application was considered genuine, based on clearances from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, and UK police, his country of origin, at the time citizenship was granted. 'The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission reject the report issued by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which claims that Mr. Tate was under high-profile investigation in the United Kingdom when applying for Vanuatu citizenship,' the statement read. But the Vanuatu Daily Post reported that a spokesperson from OCCRP stated the Vanuatu citizenship commission's response to OCCRP's reporting was factually inaccurate. 'Our reporting shows that Andrew Tate was granted Vanuatu citizenship while under criminal investigation by Romanian – not UK – authorities on rape and human trafficking charges,' the spokesperson said. 'His Vanuatu passport was issued while he was in detention in a Romanian jail. This was covered in global media at the time and was publicly accessible information in Vanuatu.' The Citizenship Office and Commission reiterated that, at the time Tate applied for Vanuatu citizenship, he submitted a clear police record. The authorities also noted that their designated agency, NXT Citizen, has remained compliant with the Citizenship Act and related regulations for over five years. But it said that 'if there is sufficient evidence that Mr Tate has been convicted by a court of law' , the Commission will revoke his Vanuatu citizenship without delay. Report into citizenship scheme Meanwhile, Vanuatu's opposition leader says the government must immediately release the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the country's Citizenship Programme. The report was handed to the Justice Minister last week. Former prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau told the Vanuatu Daily Post the people deserve to know what has been uncovered. The Commission of inquiry, which ran for nearly a year, was investigating allegations of corrupt practices within the passport and citizenship schemes. Under the Development Support Program, applicants can be granted citizenship for a minimum investment of $US$130,000. Prime Minister Jotham Napat, through his public relations officer, said the standard procedure requires that the report must first be presented to the Council of Ministers. The Daily Post contacted a government minister, who confirmed the report was set to be presented to the Council this week. The passport programme has caused concern for some time. It has affected its visa-free access to the UK and to the European Parliament's Schengen area. The Daily Post reported the inquiry followed public outrage and claims of systemic abuse involving the sale of passports and misuse of the programme for personal and political gain. Kalsakau said making the findings public is essential for transparency and accountability.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Vanuatu Citizenship Office Hits Back At Tate Report
The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission has hit back at a report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on its golden passport scheme. The OCCRP report focused on citizenship granted to self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate after it was revealed he allegedly received a Vanuatu passport. A government spokesperson had told the ABC it was investigating the matter. "We're definitely looking into it and once we have the files, definitely the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship," he said. In response, the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission chairman, Charles Maniel, told the Vanuatu Daily Post it can't carry out any revocation until allegations are proven by a court of law. Then, in a press statement responding to the OCCRP report, the Citizenship Office and Commission said Tate's application for Vanuatu citizenship was approved on 15 December 2022. It said the application was considered genuine, based on clearances from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, and UK police, his country of origin, at the time citizenship was granted. "The Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission reject the report issued by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which claims that Mr. Tate was under high-profile investigation in the United Kingdom when applying for Vanuatu citizenship," the statement read. But the Vanuatu Daily Post reported that a spokesperson from OCCRP stated the Vanuatu citizenship commission's response to OCCRP's reporting was factually inaccurate. "Our reporting shows that Andrew Tate was granted Vanuatu citizenship while under criminal investigation by Romanian - not UK - authorities on rape and human trafficking charges," the spokesperson said. "His Vanuatu passport was issued while he was in detention in a Romanian jail. This was covered in global media at the time and was publicly accessible information in Vanuatu." The Citizenship Office and Commission reiterated that, at the time Tate applied for Vanuatu citizenship, he submitted a clear police record. The authorities also noted that their designated agency, NXT Citizen, has remained compliant with the Citizenship Act and related regulations for over five years. But it said that "if there is sufficient evidence that Mr Tate has been convicted by a court of law" , the Commission will revoke his Vanuatu citizenship without delay. Report into citizenship scheme Meanwhile, Vanuatu's opposition leader says the government must immediately release the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the country's Citizenship Programme. The report was handed to the Justice Minister last week. Former prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau told the Vanuatu Daily Post the people deserve to know what has been uncovered. The Commission of inquiry, which ran for nearly a year, was investigating allegations of corrupt practices within the passport and citizenship schemes. Under the Development Support Program, applicants can be granted citizenship for a minimum investment of $US$130,000. Prime Minister Jotham Napat, through his public relations officer, said the standard procedure requires that the report must first be presented to the Council of Ministers. The Daily Post contacted a government minister, who confirmed the report was set to be presented to the Council this week. The passport programme has caused concern for some time. It has affected its visa-free access to the UK and to the European Parliament's Schengen area. The Daily Post reported the inquiry followed public outrage and claims of systemic abuse involving the sale of passports and misuse of the programme for personal and political gain. Kalsakau said making the findings public is essential for transparency and accountability.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Kiribati's Considerable Kava Consumption
Article – RNZ Michael Louze, former chairman of the Vanuatu Kava Industry said when you break it down, it's about four kilograms of kava per person annually if half the population was the world's largest consumer of Vanuatu kava in 2024. The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that last year the country imported 280 metric tonnes of kava from Vanuatu. Michael Louze, former chairman of the Vanuatu Kava Industry and a kava exporter to the United States, said when you break it down, it's about four kilograms of kava per person annually if half the population drinks. 'Some drink more, some less. But even at that level, it's a solid figure for a country this size.' In 2023, China was the world's largest importer of raw kava, but 99 per cent of it went towards extract production for re-export. 'China was never a market for kava,' Louze said. 'It made more sense for the bulk product to go through China. But in Kiribati, it's different. They're drinking it – no processing, no re-export. Pure consumption.' But one Kiribati kava bar owner, Kantaake Robapi, said there's too many of them now. 'Each village has a kava bar. There are too many kava bars in Kiribati. 'You pay AUD$150 [approximately US$97] for a licence. The Ministry of Health checks the premises – the toilets, tools for cleaning kava. Once they approve, you pay your fee to the Tarawa council.' Kiribati's Minister for Women, Youth and Sports, Ruth Cross Kwansing, has raised concerns about kava's effects on society. Kwansing told the ABC the impact of high kava consumption is being felt at homes. 'If fathers aren't home with their children and their wives, then obviously they're not looking after their families and their children,' she said. 'If they're spending all the money on kava, then where's the funds that the family needs for food and basic essentials?' She said men were exhausted from late-night kava drinking and not able to cut toddy or go out fishing and were not productive at home. Meanwhile, Tonga is calling on fellow Pacific kava producers to follow its lead in restricting the export of kava for extraction – a move that has sparked strong pushback from Vanuatu and Fiji, the region's two largest kava exporters. Tonga's positioncomes from concerns over cultural erosion and potential misuse, and promotes the idea that kava should only be consumed in its traditional, drinkable form – not processed into extracts for capsules, powders, or supplements abroad. There's also worries about a shortage in Vanuatu. Louze linked the shortage to several causes: the increasing number of kava farmers joining seasonal work programmes in Australia and New Zealand, damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold on Pentecost in 2020, and growing demand in the Port Vila market. A kava plant takes more than five years to mature before it can be harvested. 'People in Port Vila are consuming tons of kava every week, but they are not planting it,' he said. 'The population is growing rapidly, and more young men and women are drinking kava daily.' But he also said farmers cannot go wrong with planting kava with demand both locally and internationally growing, and prices have never been so high.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Kiribati's Considerable Kava Consumption
Michael Louze, former chairman of the Vanuatu Kava Industry said when you break it down, it's about four kilograms of kava per person annually if half the population was the world's largest consumer of Vanuatu kava in 2024. The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that last year the country imported 280 metric tonnes of kava from Vanuatu. Michael Louze, former chairman of the Vanuatu Kava Industry and a kava exporter to the United States, said when you break it down, it's about four kilograms of kava per person annually if half the population drinks. 'Some drink more, some less. But even at that level, it's a solid figure for a country this size.' In 2023, China was the world's largest importer of raw kava, but 99 per cent of it went towards extract production for re-export. 'China was never a market for kava,' Louze said. 'It made more sense for the bulk product to go through China. But in Kiribati, it's different. They're drinking it – no processing, no re-export. Pure consumption.' But one Kiribati kava bar owner, Kantaake Robapi, said there's too many of them now. 'Each village has a kava bar. There are too many kava bars in Kiribati. 'You pay AUD$150 [approximately US$97] for a licence. The Ministry of Health checks the premises – the toilets, tools for cleaning kava. Once they approve, you pay your fee to the Tarawa council.' Kiribati's Minister for Women, Youth and Sports, Ruth Cross Kwansing, has raised concerns about kava's effects on society. Kwansing told the ABC the impact of high kava consumption is being felt at homes. 'If fathers aren't home with their children and their wives, then obviously they're not looking after their families and their children,' she said. 'If they're spending all the money on kava, then where's the funds that the family needs for food and basic essentials?' She said men were exhausted from late-night kava drinking and not able to cut toddy or go out fishing and were not productive at home. Meanwhile, Tonga is calling on fellow Pacific kava producers to follow its lead in restricting the export of kava for extraction – a move that has sparked strong pushback from Vanuatu and Fiji, the region's two largest kava exporters. Tonga's positioncomes from concerns over cultural erosion and potential misuse, and promotes the idea that kava should only be consumed in its traditional, drinkable form – not processed into extracts for capsules, powders, or supplements abroad. There's also worries about a shortage in Vanuatu. Louze linked the shortage to several causes: the increasing number of kava farmers joining seasonal work programmes in Australia and New Zealand, damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold on Pentecost in 2020, and growing demand in the Port Vila market. A kava plant takes more than five years to mature before it can be harvested. 'People in Port Vila are consuming tons of kava every week, but they are not planting it,' he said. 'The population is growing rapidly, and more young men and women are drinking kava daily.' But he also said farmers cannot go wrong with planting kava with demand both locally and internationally growing, and prices have never been so high.
