Pacific

ADB’s operational strategy focuses on harmonizing efforts with other assistance agencies to improve governance and economic management; enhance job prospects through skills development, particularly through the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute; and improve services on the outer islands, where poor and vulnerable groups are concentrated, partly through sustainable financing mechanisms such as the Falekaupule Trust Fund. A country partnership strategy (2007–2011) is being formulated jointly with the Government and the Australian Agency for International Development and in close consultation with New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency. ADB hosts regular quarterly reviews with other development partners such as the European Union, United Nations Development Programme, France, and Japan. The interagency cooperation strategy focuses on joint commitment on macroeconomic performance benchmarks that will underpin technical assistance for tax reforms and other fiscal management issues. ADB prepared an assessment of the country’s public finance management conditions, published in the Pacific Islands Economic Report series.

ADB approved technical assistance worth $300,000 to support Capacity Building for Taxation Reforms. No loans were approved. An abbreviated public expenditure and financial assessment study was undertaken in October–November 2006 and has been widely distributed for comments.