New Caledonia’s Congress on Wednesday adopted by a large majority a resolution calling on the state to provide massive support of 500 billion Pacific francs (about 4.2 billion euros) to rebuild the archipelago after the unrest that devastated its economic fabric.
This plan, which still needs to be negotiated with the State, will be quickly submitted to the future national government for consideration during the examination of the 2025 finance bill.
The resolution also provides for the creation of an inter-ministerial committee bringing together representatives of New Caledonian institutions, as well as the appointment of a delegate directly linked to the Prime Minister to ensure the implementation and monitoring of the plan.
Territory “in the process of becoming homeless”
Forty elected officials voted in favour of this plan (one vote against and eight abstentions), and the aid requested from Paris represents almost half of New Caledonia’s GDP, which in 2022 reached 1.092 billion francs (9.1 billion dinars).
“This reconstruction plan and financial, economic and social support (…) is an essential element to enable the survival of our country” which is “in the process of becoming homeless,” said Philippe Gomès, one of the leaders of the Caledonia Group together, during the session.
All the groups present at the Congress also stressed “the failure of the Caledonian model” which justifies a “reform of the entire economic and social system” of the territory.
The collegial government of New Caledonia, made up of elected officials from all sectors, is working on this reform through a plan for safeguarding, refoundation and reconstruction (PSRR), which will be consulted with the population and will be the subject of a conference in the autumn.
Even before the crisis linked to the reform of the electoral body, which triggered several weeks of unrest, New Caledonia was facing a worrying financial situation, linked in particular to the crisis in the nickel sector.
Source: BFM TV
