Tourists arriving into the country. [File Photo]

The grant agreement with the Asian Development Bank for Enhancing COVID-19 Preparedness for Tourism Recovery Project will be amended.

This has been approved by the cabinet to expand the scope of the Project to allow goods and equipment procured under the Project to be provided to the Nadi and Nausori International Airports.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the project commenced last year and presented an opportunity to strengthen Fiji’s capacity to safely reopen to tourists and rebuild the country’s economy following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Cabinet approved an amendment to the grant agreement with the Asian Development Bank for Enhancing COVID-19 Preparedness for Tourism Recovery Project to expand the scope of the project to allow goods and equipment procured under the project to be provided to both the Nadi International Airport and Nausori International Airport.”

Rabuka says the project is estimated to cost US $3.27 million to finance civil works, goods, consulting services, and contingencies.

He adds that it includes retrofitting an existing overflow lounge to construct a new boarding gate and lounge; retrofitting unused office space to construct an airside isolation room; procuring equipment for the prevention and control of infection; and construction of a testing facility and the procurement of automated RT-PCR test machines and associated lab equipment and consumables.

The Prime Minister says under the amendment, the scope of the project is amended to finance stowable covered passenger walkways at Nausori International Airport to address overcrowding in immigration and the need for passengers to line up outside the terminal to observe social distancing.

The project is expected to be completed by September 30th.