On April 23, 2021, President Surangel Whipps, Jr. received a generous donation of USD 1 million from H.E. Wallace M.G. Chow, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Palau, as tourism revitalization assistance to aid in the preparation of damaged facilities as a result of typhoon Surigae.
Palau was affected by Typhoon Surigae, which had passed through northward, with its closest point on the early morning of April 16, 2021. Around Palau, telecommunications, power, and water supply were disrupted, and some public facilities sustained damages due to the typhoon. Some areas are still experiencing a lack of these services, and damaged facilities, impacting local tourism, Palau’s leading economic driver.
Hence as part of Palau’s priority to ensure continued economic growth, this assistance will support the improvement of damaged infrastructure in order to restore and revitalize local tourism. The pandemic left Palau financially strained, but through the generosity of one of our biggest partners, Taiwan, Palau is expecting a full-speed recovery ahead. Reparation of damaged infrastructure and resumption of tourism will generate revenue to fuel the local economy, thus enabling our government to provide for our people’s needs and enabling our communities to provide a better experience for our tourists.
Thank you very much, Republic of China (Taiwan), for your continued support and assistance. Your generosity will not be forgotten. We look forward to opportunities in which we, the Republic of Palau, can further strengthen our relationship, whether in good or challenging times. (Press release)
Taiwan gives US$ 1M as post-Surigae tourism revitalization assistance
