As the Asian Development Bank (A.D.B) increases its physical presence in the Pacific, the bank is eager to hear from communities on how to communicate better with them.

The regional development bank intends to increase its footprint across the Pacific according to its Director General for the Pacific Region Carmela Locsin, who said the bank is “scaling up financial and technical support for the region".

And in keeping with the A.B.D.’s process, each project requires in-depth and detailed consultations with the communities it builds and develops in.

In Samoa, consultation processes on proposed developments such as the Matautu Wharf and the Alaoa Multi-Purpose Flood Control Dam have come under scrutiny from community members who feel they have not been deeply engaged in the due processes.

Masayuki Tachiri, Pacific Regional Director for the A.B.D. said for all projects, stakeholder consultations are important.

“Many of the consultations are done in local languages and some of the documents are translated. Probably not all, but we make sure that all the important documents that should be known by the community are translated well.”

“But we are open to suggestions and advice. With all the communities, we try to reach out to everybody but sometimes people are away from the village for holidays,” he said.

“So if you have anything just let us know, at the A.B.D. in our offices on the ground, particularly in Suva.”

Mr Tachiri said the bank’s physical expansion, and decision to open more local offices is partly in order to more quickly respond to questions from locals on projects around them.