Donors unite tor multi-million dollar SPREP Centre

Australia, New Zealand, the United States, France, China, and Papua New Guinea all contributed to the $4.7 million tala construction of the new SPREP Centre

IT is not often that multiple donors work hand-in-hand on a project, but the construction of the new headquarters for the South Pacific Regional Environ ment Programme has managed to pool the resources of six donor nations.

Australia, New Zealand, the United States, France, China, and Papua New Guinea have all contributed to the $4.7 million tala construction of the new SPREP Centre, which began at the end of June.

In addition, the Samoan govern ment has put aside $300,000 tala in its 1999/2000 budget for the upgrading of services to the construction site, including road, electricity, water and telecommunications.

Samoa donated the 10-acre site for the SPREP Centre, and since 1992, has provided temporary accommodation at Vaitele.

SPREP is the Samoa-based inter governmental agency charged with supporting 22 Pacific island member countries in safeguarding and sustain ably developing the Pacific environ ment. It has been based in temporary accommodation in Vaitele since its move to Samoa from Noumea in 1992.

The construction contract was awarded to C.A.R.E. Construction Company Ltd., a newly formed Samoan company. Construction began late June and is due to be completed by May next year.

The six buildings to be constructed by C.A.R.E. will provide the bulk of SPREP’s office requirements.

However, negotiations are continu ing with two potential donors for the proposed construction of two special purpose buildings to house SPREP’s proposed Education and Training Cen tre and SPREP’s Information Centre.

SPREP moved to Samoa in 1992 following an invitation from the Gov ernment of Samoa. Formerly it operat ed within the South Pacific Commis

sion - now called the Secretariat of the Pacific Community - in Noumea, New Caledonia.

The number of SPREP’s programme staff has swelled since then, when there were 15 programme officers.

Today, there are 37, and formerly ade quate premises have become increas

ingly cramped.

Australia and New Zealand together

contributed more than three-quarters of the funding for the new Centre.

The balance of contributions came from other SPREP member Govern ments, including in particular France, Papua New Guinea and the United States. The People’s Republic of China made a US$lOO,OOO contribution.

Construction of the Centre is likely to take a year to complete. ■

Samoan prime minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi turns the soil for the foundation of the multi-million dollar South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) headquarters, at Vailima outside Apia, Samoa