America has thrown its weight behind resilient infrastructure in the Pacific with the US Trade Development Agency mobilising more than $US400 million ($F914m) to help finance climate-smart infrastructure projects in the Pacific.
Speaking at the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Australia last month, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the United States of America in Australia Erika Olson said the US was in the Pacific for the long haul and not interested in applying ‘quick fix’ to infrastructure but would rather support projects that are “of the highest quality that address both short – and long-term needs”.
“The US Trade Development Agency is mobilising more than $400 million in financing for climate-smart infrastructure projects that will advance the region’s net-zero goals. And we’ve developed a memorandum of commercial co-operation to facilitate private sector engagement among Pacific Island countries,” Ms Olson said.
She said the US was already a big financier of infrastructure in the Pacific by being a significant donor to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, two major multilateral partners for Pacific island countries.
“The United States is also a long-standing sponsor of the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility, an organisation that has offered advice and support to Pacific Island nations to develop high-quality infrastructure over the past 20 years,” Ms Olson said.
