![The former CEO of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce, John Aruhuri, says the agreement could lead to job losses.[www.flickr.com/Phillip Capper]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vYW4sSp5Ng4skqCs8zOxkzsQ2VahwOq_pHBXP5xiVR8jEK8_OXkgGytcXWPOYEaVEDyyiR4tuan-W7LcddMtTQiUpJA0qTuXt6IwWiafVQ3PUfWKKuEDiI5w=s0-d "The former CEO of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce, John Aruhuri, says the agreement could lead to job losses.[www.flickr.com/Phillip Capper]")
PHOTO
The former CEO of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce, John Aruhuri, says the agreement could lead to job losses.[www.flickr.com/Phillip Capper]
Last Updated:
Business leaders in Vanuatu have spoken out against the Melanesian Free Trade agreement claiming it favours bigger Pacific nations like Fiji and Papua New Guinea.Under the Melanesian Spearhead Group Free trade deal - which includes Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu - member countries are allowed to sell products to each other, tax free.
But the smaller islands say their imports from the bigger countries far outweigh exports and they want an immediate change to the agreement, in a bid to save businesses and jobs.
The former CEO of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce, John Aruhuri, says Vanuatu is at a clear disadvantage.
"The influx of these importations and the duties going down to zero means whether or not they are able to survive, which means the possibilities of a number of them maybe going out of business and jobs lost," Mr Aruhuri said.
0 comments