Acting Australian High Commissioner Andrew Hodges, Secretary for Education Darrina Kun and Secretary for Health Chanda Garabwan signed two Direct Funding Agreements (DFA) for education and health yesterday.
Managed by the Department of Finance, the DFAs aim to support Nauru in terms of health and education amongst other priorities in departments such as the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Women’s and Social Development Affairs (WASDA).
Hodges said he is pleased that Australia is able to assist Nauru to address some key issues through a long-term strategy.
The DFA with the Department of Education is focused on key priorities such as the Australian Certificate of Education (ACE), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), junior scholarships, school equipment and teacher salaries.
The DFA signed with the Department of Health also covers airfreight to bring in supplies to the island in times of COVID-19-related emergencies when sea freight is unavailable and other costs associated with COVID.
Secretary for Finance Novena Itsimaera said the departments are very appreciative of the continued support from Australia and they look forward to implementing the DFAs successfully in the near future.
Photo GIO