South Pacific Subregional Office

SPSO Celebrates ADB's 40th Anniversary

SPSO joined the commemoration of ADB's 40th anniversary, with a celebration at its office in Suva. Invited guests included the SPSO's project management staff and ADB's stakeholders in Suva. SPSO Regional Director Sirpa Jarvenpaa (pictured left) and Japan's Ambassador to the Fiji Islands, Masashi Namekawa cut the anniversary cake. The Philippines President also visited ADB's Headquarters in Manila to participate in the celebrations. Read ADB's President Kuroda's welcome address.

Regional Seminar on Project Implementation and Administration in the Fiji Islands

Twenty-seven participants from selected Pacific DMCs are attenting a 6-day Regional Seminar on Project Implementation and Administration in the Fiji Islands, which was opened by Fiji Islands' Minister of State for National Planning, Ratu Jone Navakamocea. Participants include representatives of borrowers and executing agencies dealing with ADB-financed projects. The seminar, financed under a RETA project, aims to increase participants knowledge of and compliance with ADB's guidelines on procurement, recruitment of consultants and disbursements.

Launch of the Country Gender Assessment for the Republic of the Fiji Islands

Sirpa Jarvenpaa (pictured right), Regional Director of ADB's South Pacific Subregional Office joined Fiji's Acting Minister of Women, Social Welfare and Housing, Mr. Ilaitia Tuisese (pictured left) in launching the Country Gender Assessment for the Republic of the Fiji Islands, held in Suva. The assessment was prepared with assistance from the ADB in close collaboration with Government and key gender advocates. Senior Government officials, parliamentarians and donor agencies also attended the launch. Read the full presentation.

ADB Team Reviews Projects in Samoa

Anqian Huang, Country Economist and Maria Melei, Senior Project Implementation Officer of South Pacific Subregional Office (SPSO), carried out a project review mission on a loan and technical assistances, that are under the management of SPSO. The Government of Samoa informed ADB of its intention to re-engage in one of the technical assistances and the Samoa Institute of Directors has made significant progress, in raising awareness of corporate governance issues to the Samoa State Owned Enterprises Board of Directors. Implementation is also progressing well for the activities under the Small Business Development Project, while a good start has been made on the new technical assistance, aimed at promoting economic use of customary land in Samoa.

ADB Vice-President Greenwood Meets Fiji Prime Minister Qarase, Cabinet Minister of the Fiji Islands

ADB mission to Kiribati to help make Christmas Island the engine of growth

ADB Team Visits Samoa to Review of Projects and Consult with the Newly-elected Government

ADB Team Conducts Fact Finding, Consultation Meetings in Tuvalu

The Country Consultation Mission coincided with the fact finding mission for the proposed Capacity Building for Tax Reform technical assistance project in Tuvalu. Led by Economist Emma Ferguson, the ADB team met with the Government stakeholders to discuss the objectives, scope, targeted results, financing, and implementation arrangements for technical assistance to build the capacity of its taxation administration to implement a reformed taxation system (including introduction of a consumption tax) within the broader context of an improved framework for revenue monitoring.

Fernando Garcia, Principal Country Programs Specialist; Anqian Huang, Country Economist; and Maria Melei, Senior Project Implementation Officer of ADB's South Pacific Subregional Office visitedTonga in preparation for the new Country Strategy and Program Update for 2007-2009. The visit included reviews of the active technical assistance (TA) projects for Integrated Strategic Planning (SDP8), Small Business Development and Youth Microenterprise Development, and formulated, at the Government's request, the TA for the Phase III of the Rationalization of Public Enterprises.The team met with the key Government ministries, including the Honourable Minister of Finance, the Governor of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, private sector stakeholders and heads of key donors agencies/diplomatic missions.

Philip Erquiaga, Director General of ADB's Pacific Regional Department paid a 2-day visit to the Fiji Islands for high-level consultations with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). Items for discussion included strengthening ADB and PIFS's relationship and identifying areas for further cooperation between the two organisations. While in Fiji, Mr . Erquiaga also paid courtesy visits to the Fiji Islands Governnor, the Honourable Ratu Jone Kubuabola, Minister of Finance and National Planning and the Fiji Islands Alternate Governor, Mr. Savenaca Narube, the Reserve Bank of Fiji's Governor.

Affordable energy is an important prerequisite for economic development and poverty reduction. This was the key message at the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Program for the Pacific workshop at Nadave, Fiji Islands. Fernando Garcia, Principal Country Programs Specialist of the South Pacific Subregional Office gave the opening remarks. "Financing is an important part of ADB's support to renewables and energy efficiency across Asia and the Pacific. In addition, ADB’s contribution extends to policy advice and actions to eliminate the barriers, to introduce the right policy framework and financial tools, to enable renewables and energy efficiency achieve their potential."
Read the full presentation

Sirpa Jarvenpaa, Regional Director of the South Pacific Subregional Office, delivered the closing address at International Labor Organization's 'Walking out of Poverty' Training on Sewing in Suva today. Ms Jarvenpaa stated that in 2002, ADB and ILO concluded a memorandum of understanding to facilitate collaboration recognizing the complementary expertise of the ILO, particularly in the areas of employment generation and social protection. Through donor-funded assistance, the ILO has been implementing a series of skills training for three years aimed at economic empowerment of people living in the margins of the community in Fiji and in poverty. Eighteen participants including Mr Iliesa Navuisinu, the only male, graduated with Certificates in Sewing. Read the full presentation