Press Releases
Signing and Exchange of Notes concerning support for strengthening the foundation of economic growth by providing agricultural product processing and research and development equipment to the Kingdom of Tonga (Grant aid “the Economic and Social Development Programme”)
January 11, 2024
On January 11, in Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga, Mr. INAGAKI Hisao, Ambassador-Designate of Japan to the Kingdom of Tonga, and Lord Fohe, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forests of the Kingdom of Tonga, singed and exchanged notes concerning support for strengthening the foundation of economic growth by providing agricultural product processing and research and development equipment with a grant up to 300 million yen.
- The Kingdom of Tonga relies on imports for most of its food products from overseas. The Government of Tonga aims to strengthen both food security and trade expansion through the development and processing of new products to produce shelf-stable food. However, the food processing equipment owned by the government allows for the development of only a limited number of products. In addition, the government is having difficulty securing a budget due to a decline in tourism-related tax revenues and repeated natural disasters.
- This project provides the government with agricultural processing and research and development equipment, which are expected to contribute to strengthening the country's foundation of economic growth by expanding exports of agricultural products and strengthening food security.
- On the occasion of the 9th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting held in July 2021, Japan announced “strengthening the foundation for sustainable and resilient economic development” as one of the priority areas for the next three years, and this project is its concrete embodiment.