The Japanese government has donated vehicles and heavy machinery worth EC$10 million to the government of Dominica. These included command vehicles, compacter trucks, dump trucks, chain-saws, loaders, and other supplies for reconstruction projects and resilience building in the country. The donations were given in a simple handover ceremony at the Windsor Park Stadium.
Japan’s new ambassador to Dominica, Tatsuo Hirayama, performed the handover ceremony, saying the technical assistance was part of his country’s Non-Project Grant Aid Programme for Economic and Social Development. Two phases of the grant project has been completed with the third coming soon.
Hirayama said Japan takes the affairs of the people of Dominica very seriously most especially in relation to natural disasters. This is so because Japan is also not exempt from natural disasters, necessitating the need for disaster-prone nations to prepare to mitigate the effects of climate events and recover from them. He announced that Typhoon Number 19 is approaching the Japanese archipelago at the moment and may arrive next weekend.
“All of us know that we cannot control the force of nature and that the only thing that we can do is to make ourselves better prepared so that serious damage can be prevented or mitigated,” Hirayama said. “In this respect, I am convinced that the equipment procured with and our grant assistance, we will contribute to better preparedness and resiliency to natural disasters.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Francine Baron, appreciated the Japanese government for their support, saying the Asian country had always responded to the structural needs of Dominica since Hurricanes Erika and Maria occurred some years ago. She said Japan provided construction equipment and critical supplies necessary for building resilience and improving the efficiency of first response agencies in Dominica.
Baron said heavy machinery and vehicles will be used by the Office of Disaster Management, the Fire and Ambulance Service, the Public Works Corporation, and the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation.
With the third phase of Japan’s assistance to help rebuild Dominica, more equipment and supplies targeted at climate resilience and disaster response will be provided. These include generators, water pumps, emergency lamps and other for the use of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal and the Office of Disaster Management.
Samuel Carrette, project manager of Japanese Grant Aid, urged the agencies to which the critical equipment and supplies were given to make optimum use of them, adding they must be well-maintained for longevity and national development.
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