India offers to undertake $50,000 worth quick impact projects in each of 14 Pacific Island Countries

Nukuʻalofa (Tonga)/New Delhi, Aug 29 (Representative) India on Thursday offered to undertake a Quick Impact Project in each of the 14 Pacific Island Countries, based on each country’s choice, worth USD 50,000. The offer was made by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, in his address at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Dialogue Partners Session, in Nukualofa, the capital of Tonga, which is hosting the PIF. “As part of our continuous solidarity with our Pacific Partner Countries and the Pacific Islands Forum, I am pleased to announce that Government of India will undertake one Quick Impact Project or QIP of each country’s choice worth USD 50,000 in each of the 14 Pacific Island Countries. We will be happy to receive proposals in this regard from the respective countries,” he said. He reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to work closely with the Pacific partner Countries and the Pacific Islands Forum, as the foremost regional mechanism, in line with the priorities outlined in the 2050 Strategy to help build a stronger, more resilient and prosperous Blue Pacific Continent.

Margherita said that India’s multifaceted engagement with the Blue Pacific Continent is anchored in its Act East Policy, and is strengthened both bilaterally and through different mechanisms such as the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). He highlighted the significance that India attaches to the relationship. India’s bilateral development partnership in the form of grant-in-aid projects is worth about USD 3 million per annum. These are demand-driven and have had high impact in the 14 Pacific partner countries.At the 3rd FIPIC Summit held in Papua New Guinea last year, Prime Minister Modi announced a 12 Point Action Plan which includes the setting up of a 100-bedded regional Super-specialty Hospital in Suva, Fiji, a Regional IT and Cyber Security Training Hub in Papua New Guinea, 1,000 Scholarships over the next five years, supply of Dialysis Units, and Generic Medicine Pharmacy outlets.

“Our Pacific friends have benefited from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund which supports demand-driven sustainable development projects such as the Parametric Microinsurance project in Fiji, Construction of water cistern in Tuvalu and solarisation of the Langafonua building of Tonga’s National Council for Women which will be commissioned tomorrow (Aug 30), he said. “India shares your concern regarding the threat posed by climate change and rising sea level. India has successfully reduced the emission intensity vis-à-vis its GDP by 33% between 2005 and 2019, thus achieving the initial Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target for 2030, 11 years ahead of the scheduled time.” India leads a number of global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Green Grids Initiative — One Sun, One World, One Grid, the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuel Alliance which benefit our Pacific partners.India is committed to responding to the vulnerabilities caused by natural hazards in the Pacific, the MoS added.