Signing of Exchange of Notes for Economic and Social Development Programme for the “Procurement of Road Maintenance Equipment”

On 17 December 2025, the Signing and Exchange of Notes Ceremony for the 2025 Economic and Social Development Programme for the procurement of Road Maintenance Equipment, with a value of up to 400 million Japanese yen (approximately AUD 4 million), was held at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy in Tarawa.
 
The Notes were signed and exchanged between Mr Hideyuki Suzuki, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Kiribati, and the Honourable Tekeeua Tarati, Minister for Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy. This was followed by the signing of the Grant Agreement between Ms Yumi Kimura, Resident Representative of JICA Fiji Office, and the Honourable Minister Tarati.
 
Through this signing of Japan’s grant assistance, heavy machinery such as a dump truck will be provided to Kiribati for road construction and maintenance.
 
In his remarks, Mr. Suzuki highlighted the vital role of road infrastructure—particularly on South Tarawa—in connecting communities to essential services, while acknowledging the growing challenges posed by climate change and aging infrastructure. He emphasized that the assistance aims to strengthen maintenance capacity, improve road reliability, and enhance resilience, in line with Kiribati’s 20-Year Vision.
 
Japan has long supported Kiribati’s road development, including landmark projects such as the Nippon Causeway. This new funding will once again contribute to safer, more reliable, and resilient roads across Kiribati, further strengthening the enduring partnership and friendship between Japan and Kiribati.