[Japan International Cooperation Agency] [Friday, Sep 11, 2015]
Signing of Loan Agreement with Uganda: Mitigating traffic congestion and vitalizing logistics, transport and economic activity in the capital region
On September 11, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a loan agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uganda to provide a Japanese ODA loan of up to a total of 19.989 billion yen for the Kampala Flyover Construction and Road Upgrading Project.
This project will build flyovers at major junctions that are particularly congested, improve junctions, and widen existing road to improve and promote urban transportation in the center of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, with the objective of improving the flow of goods and stimulating the economy in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. The funds from this loan will be allocated to civil works, including for the flyovers, junction improvements and road widening, and consulting services.
A landlocked country in East Africa, Uganda is at a key position for logistics in East Africa as the relay location for the North Corridor, which connects the Port of Mombasa in Kenya and inland areas including Rwanda, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Kampala, which is adjacent to the North Corridor, has a population of approximately 1.78 million people (2013) and is the center of the economy of Uganda. In recent years, the increase in traffic volume accompanying the rapid rise in population and economic growth has resulted in serious traffic congestion at major junctions on roads, impacting economic growth in Uganda.
In the “National Development Plan II” for fiscal years 2015–2019 formulated in June 2015, the Government of Uganda plans to increase the quantity and quality of strategic infrastructure to improve competitiveness, and transportation infrastructure is one of the prioritized areas. JICA has provided grant aid over the years to improve the roads and junctions in Kampala, as well as carrying out other work such as the Project for Improvement of Trunk Roads in Kampala (Exchange of Notes (E/N) signed in fiscal year 1998), the Project for Improvement of Trunk Roads in Kampala, Phase II (E/N signed in fiscal year 2003), the Project for the Improvement of Traffic Flow in Kampala City, Phase I (E/N signed in fiscal year 2005), and the Project for the Improvement of Traffic Flow in Kampala City, Phase II (E/N signed in fiscal year 2006). In addition, starting this year, JICA has been carrying out the Project for Improvement of Systematic Junction Management in Kampala City, technical cooperation, to provide technical support for formulating standard designs that will improve intersections for better transportation and for maintaining and operating traffic signals. Building on such experiences, JICA will continue to provide effective support toward economic growth in Uganda.
[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan] [Friday, Sep 25, 2015]
Emergency Grant Aid for the Influx of Refugees and Migrants in Europe
(1) On September 25, the Government of Japan decided to extend Emergency Grant Aid of 2 million US dollars (approximately 240 million yen) in response to the mass influx of refugees and migrants to West Balkan countries, mainly the Republic of Serbia and the Former Yugoslav the Republic of Macedonia, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
(2) The Government of Japan will implement this aid, aiming to provide support for improving the reception centers for refugees and migrants, enhancing the capacity of border management, food and medical services among others mainly to Serbia and Macedonia, both of which are non-EU countries without the coverage of EU safety net, and where many refugees and migrants pass through on their way to EU member countries.
(Reference) Breakdown of the Grant Aid
UNHCR: improvement of the reception centers for refugees and migrants and psychological care (USD 1 million)
IOM: enhancement of the capacity of border management and refugees and migrants registration (USD 0.5 million)
IFRC: food and medical support (USD 0.5 million)
[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan] [Friday, Sep 25, 2015]
Emergency Grant Aid for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon
(1) On September 25, the Government of Japan decided to extend Emergency Grant Aid of 2 million US dollars through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in support of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon.
(2) This emergency grant aid is to provide such support as improving self-reliance of Syrian refugees and strengthening local governments, which contributes to welfare of both Syrian Refugees and host communities in Lebanon which is hosting over 1 million Syrian Refugees.