The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to allocate $44.1 million dollars from the JICA-Covid-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan to fund four specific projects to support the 2023 Pacific Games.
The funding support is being provided by the Government of Japan to the Solomon Islands Government (SIG).
The funds will be channeled to the National Hosting Authority (NHA) that is responsible for the delivery of the 2023 Pacific Games in November 2023.
The funds provided by the JICA-Covid Response/Economic Stimulus Loan will support the following four projects:
| 1 | Capital project to fund upgrade of Honiara City Council Community fields | $5million |
| 2 | Capital project to fund the upgrade of the SINU Sports Field | $1.6million |
| 3 | Project to funds surveys and clearance of UXOs and Geotech studies in all PG2023 venues and work areas | $7.5million |
| 4 | Co-financing to fund the ground and civil works at the PG2023 – SIFF Football Academy | $30milion |
| Total | $44.1million |
The HCC and SINU field upgrades and the UXO and Geotech projects are totally funded by the JICA-Covid Response/Economic Stimulus Loan and the PG2023-SIFF Football Academy is Co-financing with the Government of Papua New Guinea.
The SINU field is replacement field to those SINU had lost to the main Pacific Games Stadiums projects.
All the fields will however be available for visiting teams to use for their practice and training when they are in the country in 2023.
JICA’s Project Formulation Advisor, Kengo Hoshina, said he is pleased to commit part of the funds to support UXO clearances, which had been a long-standing priority in Honiara and throughout the country.
UXOs had claimed some innocent lives in recent times and Mr Kengo hopes the contribution will help make the PG2023 sports facilities safe for the 2023 Pacific games and for all users of the facilities in years to come.
The Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury Mr. Dentana Mckinnie and Chair of the National Hosting Authority and Secretary to Prime Minister Dr Jimmie Rodgers jointly conveyed to JICA and the Government of Japan the Solomon Island Government’s gratitude for this substantial support that will help the government provide world-class facilities that are safe for the people of Solomon Islands to use before, during and after the 2023 Pacific games.
Both PS Dentana and NHA Chair Dr Rodgers commended the joint efforts by the Ministry of Finance led by the Accountant General and NHA led by Executive Director of NHA’s Project Management Unit and Secretariat to the PG2023 Games Facilities Committee, Mr Eldon Tepa for the preparatory work that led to the agreement by JICA to support these important projects under the banner of the 2023 Pacific Games.
