The governments of Australia and Japan are funding two major law enforcement developments in the Marshall Islands.
Justice Minister Kessai Note announced during a Nitijela session on Thursday that the two governments are providing assistance that will give law enforcement operations a big boost.
The government of Australia will be providing the Marshall Islands with a new and more sophisticated patrol vessel for patrolling its waters.
As part of Australia's regional patrol boat program, the Australian government provided a patrol vessel to this western Pacific nation in the early 1990s, as well as stationing Royal Australian Navy personnel in Majuro to support maritime surveillance and enforcement action.
The original vessel went through a major overhaul several years ago to extend its life and is still in operation.
The new vessel is slated for delivery in 2023, said Note, who was president of the Marshall Islands from 2000-2008.
The current Australian-funded patrol vessel that has been in use in the Marshall Islands for nearly 30 years. Photo: Giff Johnson
Note said the new patrol vessel will require additional training for Sea Patrol crew members, as well as funding for maintenance and operations going forward.
He indicated the Justice Ministry would be seeking additional funding to support the new patrol vessel in upcoming national budgets.
The other big development is the soon-to-start new headquarters for the Ministry of Justice that has never had a main office - the Attorney General, Sea Patrol and Marshall Islands Police Department have all been located in separate buildings.
The new building, funded by Japan, will house Sea Patrol, the Attorney General's office, and other law enforcement and related agencies.
It is to be built on the site of the current Sea Patrol office. A bid (tender) will be put out by the government in the next few weeks for demolition of the Sea Patrol building, Note said.
In the meantime, the ministry was searching for office space to accommodate the people who will be displaced by the demolition of the building.
Note anticipated that it will take one-year to build the new Justice facility from the start of construction.
Note said that the Covid-19 situation had delayed the start of construction, which had been scheduled to begin last year, but is now moving forward with the upcoming demolition of Sea Patrol's offices.