Samoa: Land Transport Sector Development Project

Transport / Transport policies and institutional development

The PRF will support (i) the preparation of a feasibility study including due diligence. Due diligence will cover technical, economic, financial, safeguards, gender, climate change, and integrity of the ensuing projects; (ii) the preparation of detailed engineering designs for civil works components, which will integrate any measures needed to (a) promote resilience to climate change and disasters triggered by natural hazards, (b) support gender equality outcomes including women's economic empowerment through improved access to markets and employment, improved access to services (e.g., healthcare, schools), reducing women's time poverty and ensuring safe and inclusive road networks. The project will also support the executing and implementing agencies in conducting strategic procurement planning and bidding process for advance procurement activities.

The capacity of the executing and implementing agencies to prepare and implement the PRF and the ensuing projects will be strengthened with the establishment of a project management unit (PMU) within the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The PMU will enable the timely start-up and preparation of the ensuing projects and, through support from consultants, provide on-the-job training and knowledge transfer to the executing and implementing agencies, including exploring capacity development for gender-inclusive human resource policies, gender targets for capacity building, and other measures to enhance benefits for women and contribute to gender equality. The PRF will finance the establishment of the PMU.

The Government of Samoa (the government) has recognized the vulnerability of existing road and bridge sections in Savaii and Upolu to climate change, which has resulted in obstruction to drainage channels and partial to sometimes full closure of the road. To tackle these issues and make land transport more sustainable, the government has prioritized to upgrade (i) coastal roads in Savaii and (ii) inland roads and bridges in Upolu.

The proposed project readiness financing (PRF) will support the government in preparing project preparatory activities and managing technical and implementation issues upfront to achieve high readiness of the ensuing projects. The project is aligned with ADB's Strategy 2030,_in expanding the focus in small island developing states to strengthen connectivity and access, and with the Pacific Approach_in reducing costs by improving domestic and regional connectivity through transport infrastructure, managing risks, enabling value creation, and in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The proposed facility is also included in ADB's Country Operations Business Plan for 11 Small Pacific Island Countries for 2021-2023._The project is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty through building resilient infrastructure. It is also in line with ADB's Strategy 2030 operational priorities in (i) addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities and (ii) strengthening governance and institutional capacity.