24th April, 2018 The Minister of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) of Tonga, Hon Poasi Tei has thanked the Government of Japan for supporting Tonga in the area of waste management and pollution control.
Hon Tei expressed this at a bilateral meeting he held with Hon. Ito Takahido, State Minister of Environment of Japan at the Brilliant Convention Center in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India on May 10, 2018.
The bilateral meeting was held to facilitate the exchange of information and sharing of experience on 3R initiatives and future cooperation between the two countries.
Hon. Ito Takahido in his introductory remarks stated, that the Japanese Government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is pleased to support Pacific Island Countries including Tonga, in the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promoting Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in the Pacific Island Countries Phase II (J-PRISM II).
In the past 5 years, MEIDECC executed J-PRISM I, which focused on the re-habilitation of Kalaka landfill in Vava’u and the promotion of waste minimization, whereas, J-PRISM II will focus on strengthening the capacity of Waste Authority Ltd in Vava’u including the management and operation of Kalaka landfill and collection and disposal of waste in the next 5 years.
The Hon. Minister of MEIDECC also acknowledged the assistance by the Government of Japan, with the donations of heavy machineries to the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO), which were very useful with the response effort made by Government.
The discussion also included the promotion of public-private partnership and technical assistance to sedimentation in Vava’u.
The Hon. Poasi Tei, Minister of MEIDECC, Mr. Paula Ma’u, CEO of MEIDECC and Ms. Mafile’o Masi, Chief Environmentalist, MEIDECC, attended the meeting.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications.