In a statement sent to Vanuatu's Prime Minister Ham Lini, the chairman of the Foreign Investment Board, John Shing and the chief executive officer of VIPA, Joe Ligo, have urged the government to tackle what they perceive as a growing level of crime following the murder of Chinese businessman, Mr Fang Xiao Wen.

"The government cannot continue to spend millions of vatu to promote tourism and investment in Vanuatu when we cannot solve these problems," Shing and Ligo said in the statement.

"We are strongly asking the government, chiefs and church leaders to exercise leadership and take the lead, and do something with this issue immediately. It is important to know that Vanuatu's image overseas can be negatively affected if the government and community leaders are silent on the problem of crime," they added.

The murder of Mr Wen, owner of a shopping mall in the capital, Port Vila has come little more that a year after a Chinese couple were allegedly murdered at their private residence in mid-May 2004. An investigation by the Vanuatu police has failed to find a culprit.

Six months previous to this, a French national was also murdered. A suspect for this killing was eventually arrested by the police after one year.