Little is being done to prosecute those implicated in the more than 3000 criminal cases recorded by the office of Vanuatu's Ombudsman since its establishment in 1995.
The Daily Post newspaper reports that the Ombudsman Peter Taurakoto made the admission as guest speaker of an Anti-Corruption Day event in Port Vila at the weekend.
Mr Taurakoto said that many of the cases involve alleged corruption and that the vast majority of the reports are now collecting dust on shelves as prosecutors and officials have done little to act on them.
He told people at the event that corruption is a disease which has infiltrated the entire structure of Vanuatu society from government to private sector to provinces, communities and families.
Mr Taurakoto is urging law makers to focus on the global call for good governance in government, municipalities, provinces and communities.