Financing agreements to extend the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) for an additional four years have been signed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the governments of Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the European Investment Bank, the European Union, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the World Bank Group, at the PRIF Management Committee Meeting that was held on Wednesday in Suva.

The PRIF was established in 2008, is a multipartner coordination and technical assistance facility aimed at improving the quality and coverage of infrastructure and service delivery in 14 Pacific developing countries (PRIF member countries).

Tonga is a member of PRIF along with the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea (an associate member country).

“PRIF partners are excited to announce and support phase five of the PRIF which will foster deeper cooperation and coordination among partners on infrastructure development in the Pacific,” said the Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office in Sydney, Shane Rosenthal. “This heralds a new era for the PRIF, which will soon be based in Suva, enabling the infrastructure advisory body to be closer to Pacific governments and will allow PRIF to be more responsive.”

Phase 5 of PRIF will run until December 2027. It will support operationalization of the Pacific Island Forum leaders' endorsed Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, which emphasize on strengthening socioeconomic resilience and increase focus on climate resilience.

It will also mainstream four crosscutting themes, including climate change and disaster risk, private sector participation, gender equality, disability, social inclusion (GEDSI), and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and sustainable infrastructure management.

PRIF partners work closely with Pacific governments to coordinate development partner assistance to improve the quality, reliability, and availability of critical infrastructure.

The PRIF helps ensure infrastructure investments are well-designed and managed to support the national development goals of Pacific nations.

It uses research, technical assistance, and advisory services to support PRIF member countries to make improvements in climate resilience, energy, telecommunications, road, aviation, and maritime transport, urban development and waste management, water and sanitation services, and the delivery of quality infrastructure.