WB ups Tuvalu aviation funding

 THE World Bank board of executive directors last Friday approved US$6.06 million (K14.5 million) in additional finance for the on-going Tuvalu aviation investment project (TvAIP).

According to World Bank, the project aimed to improve operational safety and oversight of international air transport and associated infrastructure.

The new funds would be used to scale up the ongoing project to support the resurfacing of key roads on Fongafale Island, which provided access to the Funafuti airport. 

The additional funds would also be used for solar street lighting, a road safety awareness campaign and for the purchase of maintenance equipment. 

Additionally, an 800,000 litre water cistern would be built to improve the drinking water supply for local residents.

“The World Bank is pleased to provide these additional funds to the government of Tuvalu so critical road infrastructure can be repaired and improved,” Franz Drees-Gross, country director for the World Bank in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands, said. 

The grant was provided by the International Development Association (IDA) and was part of a series of projects carried out under the Pacific aviation investment programme (PAIP) that were designed to increase aviation safety and security in the Pacific.

The programme was focused on developing key airport infrastructure for international travel such as runways, navigation aids and lighting; aviation sector reform; and improving airport management and operations.