The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga have signed a grant agreement (G/A) that will provide aid of up to 3.32 billion yen for the “Upgrading of Wharf for Domestic Transport” project.
The project, aimed to improve the efficiency of passenger and cargo transportation, will cover the construction of a passenger terminal and a wharf, as well as the development of ship berthing areas and other upgrades to provide the wharf infrastructure required for large domestic transportation ships.
At the moment, the capital city does not have a specialized wharf for large domestic cargo. Since passenger ferries berth in the cargo container yard, cargo handling during passenger embarking and disembarking is crowded, putting the safety of passengers at risk.
In addition, because the stevedoring procedures for international and domestic cargo are carried out in the same container yard, the cargo handling is inefficient.
This project is expected to have synergetic effects with the operation of a domestic transportation ship, which currently plays the core role of transportation between the main island and outlying islands and was granted by the Government of Japan in FY 2008.
The construction period for the project is expected to be approximately 33 months, including detailed design work and bidding period.
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