Asian Development Bank

ADB Frontier will target small investments in companies with strong potential to generate growth, employment, and climate action, and to empower women and girls.

“ADB Frontier is a meaningful scaling up of ADB’s private sector operations in frontier market countries facing unique development challenges,” said ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury.

This is according to the bank's Asian Development Outlook of April 2023.

ADB director-general for the Pacific, Leah Gutierrez, said the signs were good but warned about some potential hurdles.

"A broad-based recovery across the Pacific is now on the horizon as the impact of the pandemic recedes and economies reopen," she said.

"But this recovery faces several headwinds, including structural risks from disaster impacts and climate change.

Minister of Finance and Economic Management, Johnny Koanapo signed the agreement with the ADB’s Deputy Director General for the Pacific, Emma Veve in Port Vila yesterday.

The grant comprises USD $3.5 million for the Covid-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project from the Asian Development Fund 13 thematic pool supporting the transformative gender agenda outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 5.

The Acting Minister of Health, James Bule received the keys of the trucks during a handing over ceremony at the Ministry of Health office in Port Vila on Monday.

Bule said the ministry valued the support to improve and strengthen Vanuatu's Health System.

The trucks will help address transportation issues for vaccination campaigns and delivery.

It will also expand support efficiency of other services such as bed net deliveries to communities.

Vanuatu is battling large-scale community transmission of the virus, with the Ministry of Health confirming a total of 252 Covid-19 cases since a surge of imported cases last month.

Vanuatu Outbreak Alert System is currently at Alert Level 3—the highest level—for all provinces, where workplaces and schools are closed, and public gatherings are prohibited. A temporary suspension of inbound international flights remains in place.

Vanuatu’s Minister of Finance and Economic Management Johnny Koanapo and ADB Pacific Department Director General Leah Gutierrez signed the agreement, which will fund assessments, planning, and capacity building for implementing transport sector projects.

“Vanuatu is vulnerable to natural hazards, and we must protect our transport sector assets to ensure they do not deteriorate,” said Koanapo. “This ADB support will enhance the readiness of Vanuatu’s transport projects and allow us to be prepared in times of extreme weather and disasters.”

The route, which will go to Santo province, has completed bidding and contract award processes and is expected to be operational by the end of this month.

The new route is part of the Shipping Support Subsidy Scheme, which was established in 2012 by the Vanuatu Interisland Shipping Support Project (VISSP) thanks to financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the New Zealand Aid Programme, and the Government of Vanuatu.

ADB is providing US$2 million and Australia US$390,000 (in equivalent AUD$500,000) in additional financing to the program which was established in June 2020 to support the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

“The additional financing from the Government of Australia is highly appreciated and will be used to expand the scope of the assistance to Fiji where reforms will focus on strengthening public financial management practices in Fiji,” said Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office in Fiji Masayuki Tachiiri.

 The Digital Health Implementation Guide for the Pacific sets out a clear pathway for countries seeking to implement and invest in digital health. The primary audiences for the user-friendly guide are Pacific health managers and those working in information and communication technology in the health sector.

Prime Minister Bob Loughman Weibur officiated the ground-breaking ceremony on 7 May of the Vanuatu Energy Access Project (VEAP). Funded by ADB and the Government of Vanuatu, it is the country’s second major hydro power project.

The Prime Minister was joined by the Minister of Climate Change, Bruno Leignkon and Asian Development Bank Unit Head, David Fay, as well as Minister for Justice, Esmon Saimon and community leaders of Northwest Malekula at a ceremony hosted by the people of Unmet and surrounding communities.