Active Development AidData Chinese Aid

Chinese Government provides FJD 151,267.13 grant for Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School Renovation Project (Linked to Record ID#64207)

$151.3K USD

Funder	Unspecified Chinese Government Institution
Recipient Organization	Government of Fiji
Country	Fiji
Start Date	Dec 18, 2007
End Date	Apr 14, 2028
Duration	7,423 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`71498`

Grant Description

On June 27, 2007, roughly six months after the December 2006 military coup in Fiji, the Chinese Government provided a $5 million cash grant to the Government of Fiji (as recorded in Record ID#64207). These monies were deposited into a trust fund controlled by Fiji’s Office of the Prime Minister.

Then, on May 22, 2007, Fiji’s Cabinet approved the utilization of the $5 million cash grant to finance the construction and upgrading of rural roads and other rural projects. FJD 151,267.13 was earmarked for the Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School Renovation Project.

The purpose of this project was to renovate classrooms and teachers’ quarters and construct some new teachers’ quarters at Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School in Tailevu Province.

On December 15, 2007, an MOU was signed between the Office of the Prime Minister of Fiji and the RFMF Engineers regiment. It specified that the RFMF Engineers would be responsible for the implementation of the project.

Construction began on December 17, 2007 and the project was expected to be completed by the beginning of the new school year (September 2008). However, it is unclear whether or when this project was completed.

📋 Staff Comments

According to Fijian law, any monies that are deposited into government-controlled Trust Funds are not the property of the state and not utilized for the purpose of government. As such, these monies are to be deposited in separate bank accounts and accounted for separately from public money and other money (since they are being ‘held in trust’). Fiji’s Office of the Prime Minister operates one Trust Fund that is financed by the PRC Government and another that is financed by the Taiwanese (ROC) Government. The PRC Government, in effect, entrusted its $5 million cash grant to the coup leader (Frank Bainimarama), who became Fiji’s Prime Minister.

📚 Sources & References

School Building Projects In Rewa And Tailevu
Fiji
REPORT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS VOLUME 2 AUDIT REPORT ON GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND DEPARTMENTS-2007
REPORT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS VOLUME 1 AUDIT REPORT ON THE WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ANNUAL APPROPRIATION STATEMENT- 2007
The Dragon Looks South Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.