Indonesia Helps Finance Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat

The Melanesian Spearhead Group headquarters in Port Vila, Vanuatu

Port Vila, MINA – Indonesia’s government has been helping fund the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)’s secretariat.

The secretariat, based in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila, has experienced funding limitations in recent years, RNZ reported.

The five full members – Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia’s FLNKS Kanaks Movement – are meant to pay annual contributions.

However, some members have struggled to pay their dues on time in the past few years.

According to a spokesman for Indonesia’s embassy in Australia, Sade Bimantara, Jakarta has been helping the MSG out.

“And we have been giving our annual contribution. On top of that we have also helped the secretariat in procuring vehicles and other things for their secretariat. Yeah, so we have been assisting them financially as well.”

Sade Bimantara, a representative of Indonesia’s government, which has associate member status in the MSG. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)