Asian Development Bank

The grants to Samoa (US$8 million), Tonga (US$5.5 million), Tuvalu (US$1.5 million), and Vanuatu (US$3.9 million) will support their COVID-19 vaccination programmes for a combined population of almost 600,000 people. The project is financed by ADB’s US$9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility launched in December 2020 to offer rapid and equitable vaccine-related support to ADB’s DMCs.

Tonga Power Limited (TPL) CEO Setitaia Pasivaka Chen, New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga Tiffany Babington, and ADB Pacific Department Director General, Leah Gutierrez all delivered keynote speeches at the event which commemorated the key milestones of the Nuku’alofa Network Upgrade Project.

The grant is sourced from ADB’s Asian Development Fund.

Nuku’alofa Port Upgrade Project will renew, rehabilitate and expand the port’s infrastructure, as well as strengthen its operations and management.

An estimated 98% of imports reach via sea to Tonga, an archipelago of over 170 islands,.

Discussions will also include ongoing efforts to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Although Tonga remains COVID-19-free, the country’s borders are closed.

In his first virtual mission to the Pacific region, from 10 to 11 September, Saeed will pay a virtual courtesy call with Tonga Prime Minister Pohiva Tuionetoa. He will also meet with Tonga’s Minister for Health Amelia Tu’ipulotu, Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism ‘Akosita Lavulavu, and other senior government officials.

The funds are an even split between concessional loan and grant which the ADB says will also help mitigate the economic impacts of the virus.

The Solomons' government says the funds will help tackle health and economic strains caused by the pandemic.

It will finance the training of frontline nurses and doctors to fight the virus, as well as the acquisition of personal protective equipment for medical staff.

Economic stimulus will go to the farming and fishing sectors, small businesses, and state owned enterprises including Soltuna and Solomon Airlines.

The grant, which is equivalent to $27.67 million Tonga pa’anga is from the ADB’s Asian Development Fund.

A state of emergency was declared in Tonga on 20 March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health emergency and closure of its borders have put pressure on Tonga’s health systems and the broader economy. The government has announced a 60 million pa’anga short-term assistance programme—the Economic and Social Stimulus Package—to combat COVID-19.

A state of emergency was declared in Tonga on 20 March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health emergency and closure of its borders have put pressure on Tonga’s health systems and the broader economy. The government has announced a 60 million pa’anga short-term assistance Programme to combat COVID-19. ADB’s assistance will support the upgrading of local health care facilities; fund logistics to lock down the country’s border; and provide relief for the elderly, the unemployed, and vulnerable businesses such as tourism, retail, agriculture, and transport.

The new office marks a significant increase in the development institutions’ presence in Tonga and the Pacific region.

“ADB and World Bank financing has helped Tonga achieve real development results,” said Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa.

“The new shared field presence of the two institutions will allow us to collectively better respond to the development needs of the people of Tonga.”

The hospital was relocated to higher ground, as part of the ADB-supported Climate Resilience Sector Project.

The King of Tonga, Tupou VI, led the opening ceremony and the Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Sub-Regional Office Mr. Masayuki Tachiiri attended the event.

“This project supports the government’s commitment to e-governance in the health sector by delivering essential public health services using a digital health information system, including digital patient records, that will allow for continued patient care and data collection for strategic decision making,” said ADB Principal Management Specialist for the Pacific Pamela Wyatt.

“We look forward to the reporting on progress toward the goal of universal health coverage.”