Ambassador's Speeches

» Speech for the Handing Over Ceremony of a New Backhoe to the Sigatoka Town Council

By: H.E. Mr. Yutaka Yoshizawa, the Ambassador of Japan
6th November 2008, 11.00 a.m.
Lawaqa Park, VIP Lounge, Sigatoka Town

Hand Over Ceremony of a new backhoe to the Singatoka Town Council

His Worship, Ratu Isikeli Tasere, the Mayor of Sigatoka Town,
Sigatoka Town Councillors and members of business community,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning, Namaste（ナマステ）and Ni Sa Bula（二 サ ブラ）!

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to officially hand over a new Backhoe Loader to the Sigatoka Town Council. I am also delighted to be given an opportunity to visit this beautiful and fast-developing town of the Coral Coast. I wish to express my sincere gratitude for your generous hospitality and the warm welcome accorded to me this morning.

This project was undertaken in recognition of the hardships faced by Sigatoka Town Council in ensuring regular services in maintaining the waste disposal site. I strongly hope that this piece of equipment will greatly help the Town Council in its effort to promote a healthy environment and bring about clean and safe air to the people of Sigatoka. I also hope that this Backhoe Loader will help maintain the natural beauty and further promote tourism in this area.

This donation was funded through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Programme (GGP Programme). Under the GGP Programme, we provide small grants at the grassroots level in such areas as sanitary environment, water supply, health, basic education, vocational training and rural infrastructure. Last year, we provided total of US$936,256 for fifteen projects in various places of Fiji under this scheme.

This assistance is a reflection of Japan’s goodwill and friendship with the people of Fiji. Speaking of friendship, I have learnt that Sigatoka Town has been developing friendly ties with Takanezawa Town in Tochigi Prefecture, 150km north of Tokyo. It is very heartening to see such ties emerging at local community level between Japan and Fiji. I strongly hope that such relationship will spread to many other municipalities in Fiji and assure you that the Embassy of Japan will strongly support such initiatives.

Ladies and Gentlemen, with these words, I now officially handover this new Backhoe Loader to the Sigatoka Town Council.

Thank you very much, Dhanyevaad（ダンニャバード）, and
Vinaka Vakalevu.