Japan Government hands over Upgraded Water Supply System to Tonga’s Holonga Village

The Government of Japan and the Holonga Village Council celebrated the completion of the Upgraded Water Supply System funded through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects, GGP.

Mr. Yasuhiko Kamada, Acting Ambassador of Japan congratulated the completion of the project at a handover ceremony attended by Penisimani Fifta, Minister for Education and Training, Members of the Holonga Village Council, Town Officer and the people of Holonga.

“Water is undoubtedly a principal human need which serves to enhance social and economic development such as health, sanitation and sustainable food production,” said Mr. Kamada at the ceremony. He emphasized that clean and plentiful water is vital to a person’s everyday life hence improving access to water has been one of the GGP’s focus areas. He was very pleased to acknowledge that, through Japan’s GGP, the people of Holonga now have much better access to cleaner water.

Mr. ‘Aloisio Finau, Town Officer of Holonga thanked the people and Government of Japan in providing the assistance to replace the deteriorating and undersized main pipes. The Holonga Village Council sought for Japan’s assistance to upgrade the village main pipes and the assistance was formalized in December 2017, with a grant amount of USD$ 78,434.

Japan’s GGP was introduced in 1990 to respond directly to the basic human needs at the grass-roots level and to date over 270 GGP projects have been handed over in Tonga. The assistance epitomized Japan’s commitment to support efforts by the people and the Government of Tonga to ensure Human Security and continue to enrich the existing warm and close relations between the people and the Government of Japan and the people of the Kingdom of Tonga.

 

Photo supplied