The Government of Japan hand over the USD 47 million concessional loan extended to the Maldives to aid in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance today, Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer signed the loan agreement on behalf of the government of Maldives, and Resident Representative of JICA Maldives Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki signed the agreement on behalf of the government of Japan.
This concessional loan of USD 47.5 million is the largest amount of concessional borrowing that Japan has extended to the Maldives in its long history of cooperation and partnership and reflects the close bilateral relations both countries presently enjoy.
The COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan will be utilized by the Government in supporting ongoing efforts to combat the pandemic in the country.
Maldivian officials have said that The Government of Japan has previously committed a grant of USD 5.6 million to the Government of Maldives to equip and improve the health services at atolls and regional hospitals across the country.
It has also committed USD 1.4 million to the UNDP Maldives in support of small and medium enterprises in agri-businesses affected by COVID-19, USD 356,400 for UNICEF Maldives, and USD 185,000 for Maldives Red Crescent to assist the Government in its efforts to respond to COVID-19.
