The handover ceremony for 67 sawmill machines was conducted!

On September 27, a handover ceremony for 67 sawmill machines was held at the Value Addition Timber Association. This provision was made possible through Japan's grant aid project under the "Economic and Social Development Programme," which began after the signing ceremony in March 2023. The total grant amount is 200 million Japanese yen.

In his speech, Ambassador Miwa stated, "In the Solomon Islands, where 80% of the land is covered by forests, forestry is one of the important industries. The provision of these 67 sawmill machines will help expand the model of the JICA technical cooperation project 'Sustainable Forest Resource Management Capacity Development Project' conducted from 2017 to 2022, contributing to the improvement of local communities' livelihoods."

In response, Minister of Forestry and Research Makario Tagini expressed gratitude for Japan's continued support in the forestry sector, stating, "These machines will be provided to communities that have met the strict standards set by the Ministry of Forestry and Research, contributing to the promotion of industries in wood processing and value addition."

The handover ceremony concluded with the delivery to community representatives, conducted in a warm and friendly atmosphere.