Earlier this week in Wellington, the Secretary to Government Ms. Peleni Talagi signed the grant contract with the Acting Ambassador of Japan Mr. Tatsushi Nishioka for the procurement of a cargo handling forklift for the Alofi sea port at Sir Roberts Wharf.
In a statement, Mr. Nishioka said that at the signing ceremony, he commented on his visit to Niue last year and how the discussions started for the procurement of the new forklift.
“I visited Niue in October 2022, when I learned that the forklift, only one and old, was the weakest link of the distribution system of Niue. All the goods, commodities and materials in this small island country, except for domestic products and air cargos, are transported and landed by the forklift at the port, and there was an urgent need to replace it.”
“Since then we started this project and worked together with Peleni, Emi and other colleagues in Niue. Today I am very happy to finally sign on this together with our friends” said Mr Nishioka.
The procurement of the forklift comes under Japan’s grant assistance for grass-roots human security projects.
The government of Niue said that with this Project ‘the government of Japan will provide grant assistance of NZ$301,752 to the Department of Transport, Ministry of Infrastructure to procure a forklift truck for unloading at Alofi Port.’
“The project aims to secure and maintain the means of unloading daily commodities in the country and strengthen social services through sustainable and stable logistics.”
The government of Japan has funded and provided other heavy machinery and numerous vehicles for the Niue government over the past years.
In November 2019 the government of Japan provided initial development funding of more than $1.2 million dollars to the government of Niue for the procurement of heavy machineries such as excavators and dump trucks.
Last year the government of Japan also provided four brand new 4 x 4 vehicles for the Department of Health.
Niue and Japan established diplomatic relations in 2015.