Assistant Secretary Cantor Announces $7 Million in Grants for Palau

KOROR, PALAU – U.S. Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary – Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor this week led the United States-Palau bilateral economic consultations with President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. and other government officials to discuss financial and economic goals under the newly approved 2023 Compact Review Agreement (CRA). Assistant Secretary Cantor announced $6,000,000 in Compact of Free Association (Compact) Infrastructure Maintenance grants for Fiscal Years 2022, 2023, and 2024, including $1,098,699 in Technical Assistance Program (TAP) funding provided through the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), affirming the strong support that the United States has for the Republic of Palau.

“We are excited to hold our first bilateral Compact consultations as called for under the 2023 CRA, which was signed into law earlier this year,” said Assistant Secretary Cantor. “I am also pleased to announce additional support for Palau through Compact Infrastructure Maintenance grants and the TAP grant awards for census, household listing, street naming, and home addressing projects, as well as water quality and monitoring at several water treatment plants in Palau.”

Following the bilateral economic consultations as provided for under the Compact of Free Association relationship that was recently renewed between the United States and Palau, Assistant Secretary Cantor announced $6 million in Compact Infrastructure Maintenance grants representing three years of United States’ contributions to complement Palau’s maintenance of education and health facilities, water systems, the Palau National Capitol, road failure repairs, and other projects of importance to the people of Palau.

Three TAP grants, totaling $1,098,699, were also announced for the following projects;

• $549,805 for a Household Listing project to update and plot all households in Palau. Funds will also support census outreach efforts in Palau and development of baseline data to assess economic development strategies and food security in the island country;
• $310,000 to develop a uniform street naming and home addressing system for Palau, to include street naming guidelines and GIS mapping of roads; and
• $238,894 for the Bureau of Reclamation to support the Palau Public Utility Corporation to conduct water treatment investigations and implement improvements to advance public health and water security at three water treatment plants in Palau.

The Assistant Secretary - Insular and International Affairs and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The OIA also administers a discretionary Technical Assistance Program for all the Insular Areas. Find information about OIA and its work on www.doi.gov/oia, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

###