To the National Implementing Entity – The Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives

Staff of the PMU-Project Management Unit, the main Implementing Entity

Colleagues

Ladies and Gentlemen

Mauri & Bula Vinaka to you all.

It is my pleasure to say a few opening remarks this morning – and partake in the discussions of the project’s progress in preparation for its respective operational, and financial closure.

As you all may be aware, the UNDP represents the United Nations' global development network that promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations & advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.

UNDP Support in this Project:

With UNDP’s drive to promote technical and investment cooperation among nations such as Kiribati, we maintain our stance to:

• advocate for change and improve/strengthen trade capacities;
• connect Kiribati to knowledge, experience and resources,
• and ultimately help the people build a better life for themselves

Through this NIM Project, UNDP has offered support services to Kiribati by means of:

• strengthening the capacity of its trade institutions and stakeholders to formulate and implement trade policies that support poverty reduction, inclusive economic growth and equitable sustainable development.
• supporting the operations and activities of the Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives (MCIC) as a lead agency responsible for the formulation and implementation of trade policy framework and Investment Policy, aligned to national development objectives.
• Improving donor coordination and Aid-for-Trade (AfT) delivery in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Forum Compact.

Project Review Points

From the project’s evaluation report, the following areas have been noted:

• The UNDP/MIE has satisfactorily provided support services upon requests from the NIE/PMU, for activities within the project document, or/and annual work plan such as recruitment of international consultants and disbursements.;
• The National Trade Advisory Committee (NTAC) was an effective organization of the management arrangements for the Project in general.
• The project also used adaptive management to provide a good flexibility in in allocating project resources and implementing activities to be able to respond to stakeholders needs and changing conditions.
• The Project implemented through UNDP benefitted from UNDP’s comparative advantage, which is based on extended country presence in the Pacific and decentralized structure

There were some shortcomings and areas to improve on:

1. The NIE/PMU noted was an effective unit to undertake the daily activities of the Project, but its small size relative to the Project’s strategic and complex nature was a challenge.
2. The Staff turnover (NIE/PMU), resulted in a lack of continuity and consistency in Project activity implementation.
3. The high expenditure ratios for travel and mission and professional service were noted & investigated further.

In Summary of the Project Implementation:

• The Evaluation rating was satisfactory
  
• NTAC/NSC and NIE/PMU, worked well.
• The adaptive management was adopted.
• The project outputs were delivered in accordance with AWPs although there was a turnover of NIE/PMU staffs.

Overall, no major issues were found during the annual financial audit.

Closing Remarks

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for jointly pursuing this Tier 1 Phase 1 project Satisfactorily, which has ultimately rewarded our trade sector in Kiribati, and offered room for improvement into the current EIF Trade project Tier 1, Phase 2.

With these words, it is my pleasure to officially open this Kiribati Trade Tier 1 Phase 1 Board meeting to further our discussions on the key progress areas of the project, and seek your kind responses/participation before we agree to officially close this project.

Ko rab'a & Vinaka Vakalevu.