Japan handover the first allotment of the Non-Project Grant Aid for Provision of Industrial Products for Tonga ^Featured

H.E. Mr. Yukio Numata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Tonga handover the donated industrial products to Lord Ma’afu,Minister for Lands and Natural Resources during the handover ceremony held at the Tonga Geological Services Office, Vaololoa in Nuku‘alofa.

H.E. Numata in his keynote address emphasized that Japan’s assistance aims to strengthen resilience and protect in response to climate change and to encourage Tonga’s reconstruction process after cyclone Ian’s destruction. “We hope this provision of efficient and user-friendly machines will help accelerate the Kingdom’s social and economic development for a future embedded in sustainability,” he said.

The Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga signed and exchanged notes on the 2014 NPGA in June last year formalizing the assistance of Industrial Products worth 200million Japanese Yen (equivalent to 3.6 million pa’anga).The first allotment of the 2014 NPGA donated to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are three excavators and three wheel loaders that cost approximately $1.8m pa’anga, and weremanufactured in the Tohoku region of Japan. Tohoku region was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Mr. Taaniela Kula, Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources expressed the overwhelmingly gratefulness of the Ministry and the Government of Tonga for the generous assistance from the people and Government of Japan. “Your Excellency, it is an
opportune time to have received this grand given the state of our construction aggregate supply. It is gratifying that this grant will aid in the solution towards the state of erosion and inundation of our coastal communities,” said Mr. Kula.

The 2014 NPGA initiation demonstrates the progress of Japan’s open recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011, as well as demonstrating Japan’s commitment to contribute to the betterment of welfare of the People in the Kingdom of Tonga, and the achievement of human security.