Vanuatu signs AUD $10.47 million deal to modernise finance

The Government of Vanuatu has signed a five-year, VT878 million contract with Infor to modernise its financial management system by introducing a new whole-of-government digital platform.

The project, worth about AUD $10.47 million, is funded by the Vanuatu Government with support from the Australian Government. It will replace the SmartStream system, which has been used for more than 20 years.

Under the contract, Vanuatu will deploy Infor CloudSuite Public Sector across government operations. The system will bring together financial management, human resources, payroll, budgeting, procurement and asset management on one platform, replacing a mix of manual and separate processes.

The move is intended to strengthen financial controls, improve reporting and reduce paperwork across ministries and agencies. The rollout is already under way and will be phased over the next year to give departments time to shift to the new system.

System change

SmartStream has served the government for more than 20 years, but authorities say it no longer fully meets current public financial management requirements. The replacement is a broad overhaul of administrative systems rather than a limited software upgrade.

The new platform will also introduce online tools for citizens, businesses, suppliers and public servants. A customer portal will allow users to access services, submit applications and make payments online. A supplier portal will let vendors receive purchase orders, send invoices, track payments and update their details electronically.

Government employees will be able to submit leave requests, update personal information, view payslips, and take part in recruitment, onboarding and performance management through secure online access. The Ministry said digital workflows will also move transactions through review and approval more quickly, while allowing authorised users to track progress.

Public access

The investment is part of a wider push to modernise public administration in Vanuatu and expand access to government services across its dispersed islands. Officials linked the project to efforts to improve transparency and accountability, while making routine interactions with government less dependent on paper forms and in-person visits.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Management Johnny Koanapo Nies Rasou said the project would reshape how the state manages resources and interacts with the public. "Infor CloudSuite marks a new chapter in the Government's digital transformation. It will modernise how we manage public resources, strengthen financial accountability, and improve services for public servants, suppliers, businesses and citizens," Rasou said.

He said the changes could reduce the need for travel to government offices for people living outside urban centres. "Someone working on his farm in a rural area will be able to connect through his phone, instead of travelling to stand in long queues," Rasou said.

Rasou also described the programme as a major state investment with a nationwide aim. "This will help strengthen our accountability system, and it will help us reach every level of Government. With this system, we want to connect all the islands of Vanuatu," he said.

Infor said the contract would establish a single system across government instead of separate applications for different departments. Michelle Thurecht, Head of Services Industries, Infor Pacific, said: "We are honoured to partner with the Government of Vanuatu in delivering Infor CloudSuite Public Sector as a whole-of-government platform. This is a significant step forward, laying the foundation for ongoing service improvements."

The implementation will be watched as a test of how smaller Pacific governments handle large-scale back-office digital change, particularly where public services span multiple islands and remote communities. For Vanuatu, the immediate task is to move ministries and agencies from an ageing platform to a new central system without disrupting payroll, payments and core administrative functions.