The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be providing financial assistance for supporting the upgrading and rehabilitating the road network in South Tarawa. The grant is offered to the region under Kiribati Road Rehabilitation Project.

Additionally, the road rehabilitation project is also being supported by the World Bank and the Government of Australia through the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility. ADB will be providing $9m grant for this project.

ADB’s grant will be used towards the construction of important road network links by adding an extra 7.8km of paved road and 0.5km 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 this year.

ADB Pacific Department project team leader Jude Kohlhase said: “The project is delivering a safe, sustainable, and well-maintained road network in South Tarawa.

“The strong development coordination between the cofinanciers and the government is also a key feature of the project.”

"The project is delivering a safe, sustainable, and well-maintained road network in South Tarawa."

The grant will be used to cover civil works costs needed to complete the project.

While carrying out road rehabilitation works, training and jobs will be provided for women and men participating in road maintenance micro-enterprises, resulting in a boost in incomes for local communities.

Kiribati is a remote atoll country in the Pacific, which is confronted by special challenges and constraints to development.

Image: ADB to provide a grant for road rehabilitation project in Kiribati. Photo: courtesy of Asian Development Bank.