20 Nov 2010

Vanuatu umbrella NGO says people will lose out from MP pay change

10:24 am on 20 November 2010

The umbrella group for Vanuatu's NGOs says the people of the country will be the losers if parliament passes a legislative amendment to the way MPs are paid.

MPs currently receive about four and a half thousand US dollars a month.

However, under an amendment to the Members Expenses and Allowances Act that's part of the budget being debated at the moment, will get an additional 17-hundred dollars intended for distribution within constituencies.

The principal economist in the Treasury Department says that'll allow MPs to give the money to their constituents without first having to seek official approval.

But the vice-chairperson of VANGO, Ben Namu, says constituents won't benefit.

"If the money is coming here to go into areas where there are no procedures in place of how it can be implemented or how it can be used then economically people are not seeing any benefit here and I think it's not good for the people of Vanuatu."

The vice-chairperson of VANGO, Ben Namu.