In this week’s Women’s Profile, the Vanuatu Daily Post spotlights Ms Lissie Taura, the dynamic Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bureau of Price Monitoring and Consumers Affairs (BoPMCA).
Lissie Taura, who is 43 years old, is originally from Efate, part Makira. Her educational journey began at Kawenu Primary School. She pursued secondary education at Malapoa College before attending Nelson College for Girls, where she prepared for university.
Ms Taura graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies in Accountancy from Massey University, New Zealand, and is currently completing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) online with a focus on Digital Transformation in the same university.
Her career began as an accountant at Barret and Partners from 2002 to 2006. Her knack for numbers and strategic insight soon led her to Digicel, where she worked as a Business Analyst working alongside Digicel’s Financial Controller, and Chief Financial Officer.
She then became the Manager of Economics and Legal at the Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) in 2009. By late-2011, she joined the Utilities Regulatory Authority (URA) as Chief of Staff, serving for 12 years.
In 2022, Ms Taura was appointed CEO of the Price Monitoring and Consumer Affairs (PMCA) under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MoFEM). Beyond Vanuatu, she has also worked with Mitchell Partners Consulting in Australia and contributed to drafting telecommunication legislation for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
Under her leadership, Ms Taura aims to ensure transparency in Vanuatu’s economy and strengthen areas in need of improvement. Her vast experience in regulation makes her the ideal fit for this role.
Recently, she led a delegation to Fiji for the launch of the Pacific Islands Competition, Consumer and Economic Regulation (PINCCER), a network which the CEO emphasised that it will have a significant benefit in Vanuatu as it will promote competitive markets between the Pacific countries including Vanuatu.
According to the CEO, her inspiration to work in the economic sector is influenced by fairness, a concept which she believes it is the foundation for an effective operational business. However, she said that fairness is not something that will be achieved in isolation. “For fairness to be established, there must be transparency in pricing, to enable predictability,” she said.
The CEO attributes her inspiration to work in the economics sector to the concept of fairness, which she believes is the foundation of an effective and operational business. However, she emphasized that fairness cannot be achieved in isolation. To establish fairness, there must be transparency in pricing, which enables predictability.
Ms Taura told the Vanuatu Daily Post that working in the public sector has its challenges, ranging from a lack of consistency in leadership to a lack of capacity. She emphasised the need for more human resources to be trained to work in public offices. She suggested that a good framework would help mitigate these challenges. Speaking from personal experience, she noted that work tends to be more effective when there is collaboration with other systems within the workforce.
Currently completing her MBA, Ms Taura is a strong advocate for digital transformation. She believes in the efficiency and accessibility the transformation can bring to public offices, and is envisioning a future where digitalization enables seamless access to information and skills, driving progress and equity.
With her years of working experience, one thing she has learned is that although Vanuatu is a small island state, it is very different from other Pacific countries. She attributes this to the cultural differences within the region, which she believes have influenced the way of life, leading to Vanuatu being ranked the happiest country in the global index. However, she noted that this way of life has become heavily and negatively influenced by Western culture. “For our country to grow, we need to go back to our culture and our way of doing things,” she said.
Ms Taura encourages women and young girls to invest in education, both formal and informal. She highlights the importance of respect, humility, and continuous learning. She also stressed the significance of upholding Christian values, attributing her success to faith and perseverance.
“Education and God are the keys to being a career-independent woman, a wife, a daughter, or a granddaughter,” she said. “With education, one learns to be humble and successful in anything.”
Despite the challenges in the public sector, Taura values mutual respect and collaboration in her work. She hopes to maintain these values in her current and future roles.
SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST
