In a letter to Toribiong, Nigel Roberts, World Bank director for the Pacific East Asia region, said he wants to “improve my understanding of the challenges Palau faces, as well as to discuss progress made in our current assistance program and to seek your advice on other areas of cooperation that you may deem appropriate.”
Roberts said the World Bank has been “engaged intensively with the Palau Oil and Gas Task Force since its inception, and we take this commitment very seriously.”
The World Bank, he added, has also agreed to help Palau carry out a National Renewable Energy Action Plan.
According to Roberts, the plan is designed to help Palau make maximum use of its renewable energy resources and lessen its dependence on imported oil.
Roberts said the World Bank can provide informal and confidential economic advice to the local government on a regular basis, through the two World Bank staff members recruited for the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center in Fiji.
