The FINANCIAL — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to provide an additional $9 million grant to support the Kiribati Road Rehabilitation Project which is upgrading and rehabilitating the road network in South Tarawa. The project is also being supported by the World Bank and the Government of Australia through the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility.
The grant, financed from ADB’s Special Funds, will be used to fund the construction of important road network links by adding an extra 7.8 kilometers (km) of paved road and 0.5 km of unpaved road to cover additional areas in Betio and Bairiki linked to the current project, and fund the completion of civil works by the end of 2016.
The grant will be used to cover civil works costs needed to complete the project, according to ADB.
“The project is delivering a safe, sustainable, and well-maintained road network in South Tarawa,” said Jude Kohlhase, project team leader in ADB’s Pacific Department. “The strong development coordination between the cofinanciers and the government is also a key feature of the project.”
Kiribati, a small remote atoll country in the Pacific, is facing special challenges and constraints to development.
Training and jobs are being provided for women and men participating in road maintenance micro-enterprises, resulting in a boost in incomes for local communities.
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