Ketia Natan

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) welcomes the commencement of the Kiribati COVID-19 vaccination program now under way in South Tarawa. Kiribati received its first batch of 24,000 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility on Tuesday 25 May 2021 and commenced vaccination on Wednesday 26 May 2021.

The vaccines will be prioritized and provided to 20% of the population. These include frontline and essential workers, the vulnerable and older citizens who stand a higher risk to contracting COVID-19.

Local physician, Dr. Tabutoa Eria became the first I-Kiribati to be vaccinated. Upon receiving his jab, Dr. Tabutoa commented “this vaccine is so important as it will protect our communities and prevent further impact of this deadly virus. As health care workers, we are being vaccinated to protect our families and those who are most at risk”.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) have completed the vaccination of all front-line workers in South Tarawa and has begun vaccinating border control and essential service workers in Betio, Bairiki and Bonriki.

TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau has welcomed the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines stating that it is an essential step to protecting the people of Kiribati against the pandemic and to preparing the island nation for international tourism. He added that the Tourism Authority of Kiribati will work closely with all relevant stakeholders to prepare the destination for a smarter and more sustainable restart to tourism once the Government of Kiribati (GoK) opens its borders.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) supports and welcomes the launch of the first Litter Enforcement Campaign initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD) through its Environment & Conservation Division (ECD) from 01 May 2021 on the islet of Betio, South Tarawa.

With the theme Ikarekebai ibukin Betio Boboto, (Strengthening Community Based Partnership for effective Littering Enforcement on Betio), the campaign is a collaboration between Betio Local communities and Betio community policing to strengthen the enforcement of the Environment Amendment Act 2007, in particular the ‘Littering Provision’,

This campaign is the result of MELAD’s collaborative initiative with Betio Local Communities, facilitated during the 2020 MELAD week dialogue between MELAD-ECD and Betio Local Communities. The collaboration was officiated with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to address the waste and litter challenges on Betio.

MELAD is also undertaking community consultations with several maneaba and waste and littering awareness roadshows on Betio. This will be followed by a number of scheduled enforcement training to local communities’ security representatives to be facilitated by MELAD with the support of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

The trainings will aim to build the capacities of these local community securities and empower them to enforce this Littering provision of the Environment Act on Betio.

MELAD is of the view that this outreach campaign will raise awareness and also prepare the general public on Betio for the upcoming enforcement of the Littering provisions of the Environment Amendment Act 2007, to be led by the Betio Local Communities with the full support of the MELAD Environment Inspectors and the Police officers stationed on Betio.

MELAD encourages the general public, Schools, Government Ministries and State-Owned Enterprises (SoE) to support this initiative.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) welcomed the Government of Kiribati’s (GoK) tabling of the Electronic Transactions Bill 2021 for consideration in Parliament by the Honourable Booti Nauan, Minister for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MCIC).

Through an official release, the MCIC stated that the Electronic Transactions Bill provides legal recognition and status to the use of electronic communications and signatures. It applies to all types of electronic transactions exchanged among Business, Government and Consumers, subject, in certain cases, to the adoption of implementing regulations”.

In his introductory remarks for the Bill, Honourable Booti Nauan, highlighted that the Bill fulfills the Government’s long-term development plans outlined in the Kiribati 20-Year Vision 2016-2036 (KV20) and the Government’s Manifesto aiming at developing a regulatory environment for electronic transactions and, in particular, enabling electronic communications in commercial dealings.

Honourable Booti Nauan further noted that electronic commerce is particularly important in Kiribati given geographical challenges and the shortage of physical infrastructure. The adoption of the Bill comes at a critical time as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has escalated the use of electronic communications in commercial activities, including in Kiribati.

The Bill is based on UNCITRAL texts. Once the Bill is passed, Kiribati will be one of the first countries in the world, and possibly the first in the Pacific, to adopt the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.

The second reading of the Bill is scheduled in the next Parliament session, later this year.

The UNDP Micro-credentials for the Tourism Sector project for Kiribati has been deemed a success by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), the organisation tasked to implement the project across the Pacific.

Two online courses, Digital Literacy Essentials, and Communication Technologies for Business Success were included in this project and initially targeted 40 participants. Due to overwhelming interest from across Kiribati, the project increased availability to 100 participants, and 65 participants successfully complete the courses.

APTC Innovations Team Specialist Advisor, Susan Bateup stated “whilst the project concluded on 31 Match 2020, the Micro-credentials will continue to be available for anyone from Kiribati to Register online via the APTC website – https://aptc.edu.au/courses/micro-credentials –  and will be supported by the MyVillage eLearning support team”.

The APTC also advised that it is considering additional Micro-credentials to be added to its current collection of Micro-credential short courses and information on this will be shared once available.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati acknowledged the tremendous support extended to the Kiribati tourism industry by the APTC to assist in building capacity during a challenging time and looks forward to opportunities for tourism training support in the future.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) carried out its first official visit to the new Australia High Commissioner to Kiribati, His Excellency Mr. David Yardley on Tuesday, 20 April 2021.

Led by TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau, TAK took the opportunity to brief High Commissioner Yardley on the organization and its work as guided by the TAK Strategic Plan and its Kiribati National Tourism Development Framework 2020 – 2022.

Areas discussed included TAK’s work on the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Policy framework, tourism investment opportunities, training and capacity building and the Kiribati Tourism Reset program including the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocols for the New Normal.

As a key source market for business and leisure & adventure travel to Kiribati, TAK also expressed that Australian destinations like Far North Queensland are the ideal catalyst for sustainable tourism which Kiribati can benchmark against.

In concluding their visit, TAK acknowledged with appreciation Australia’s support for programs that will inherently benefit Kiribati tourism in the long term such as their support local training institutions, the labour mobility program and the Australia Volunteers International (AVI) network.