Breach of Contracts costs Government close to 4 Million USD

On the 18th and 19th of November 2019, justice Wiltens ordered the Vanuatu Government to pay International Green Structures LLC a sum of nearly 4 million USD.

The claim by International Green Structures LLC was that the first defendant, the National Housing Cooperation, the second defendant who is the Vanuatu Government, and the third defendant who is John Terry breached a contract for International Green Structures LLC to build durable and set a new standard for housing in Vanuatu.

The contract which was signed and witnessed by then Minister of lands, who also launched the housing program.

Ralph Regenvanu who was then the Minister of Lands said during the launching of the International Green Structures LLC program that the”passing of Cyclone Pam had to take place in order to wake everyone up, to look at reorganizing the way people live and what we are seeing today is a classic example of what we have to do to take a new pathway towards securing the way we live our lives,”

The Vanuatu Government argued that the contract was entered into by the third defendant who wasn’t authorised to enter into such an agreement, however, when the program was launched, the Vanuatu Government showed full support and they themselves officiated the ceremony.

The Judge also mentioned that he did not need to reserve his judgment and was also greatly assisted by a witness named John Salong, who the Judge wrote “I did not accept him as a witness of truth”

Judge Wiltens also said the third defendant John Terry was a state scapegoat, the conclusion is obvious, the Government breached the agreement between them and nternational Green Structures LLC