Kiribati - 1 Kiribati Country Profile

Generic Information
Humanitarian Info
Facts and Figures

Kiribati Country Map

Generic Information

Kiribati, officially known as the Republic of Kiribati, is a country in the central Pacific Ocean. The permanent population is just over 110,000 (2015), more than half of who live on Tarawa Atoll.

The Republic of Kiribati is made up of three main island groups: The Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands and one isolated raised limestone island, Banaba (Ocean Island). The groups of islands contain 33 scattered atoll islands, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres in the central Pacific Ocean. The three main island groups stretch over 800 kilometres from north to south and over 3,210 kilometres from east to west. Their spread straddles both the equator and the 180th meridian. The capital and now most populated area, South Tarawa, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways. These comprise about half the area of Tarawa Atoll.

Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979. Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.

The public sector dominates Kiribati’s economy. It provides two-thirds of all formal sector employment and accounts for almost 50% of gross domestic product. Kiribati is highly exposed to external economic shocks, particularly surges in food and fuel commodity prices, due to its limited revenue base and high dependency on imports.

Kiribati is categorised by the United Nations as both a ‘Small Island Developing State’ and a ‘Least Developed Country’.

Generic country information can be located from sources, which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a generic country overview, please consult the following sources:

Kiribati Wikipedia Country Information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati

Kiribati IMF Country Information http://www.imf.org/en/Countries/KIR

Kiribati Economist Intelligence Unit Information* NO EIU REPORT FOR KIRIBATI

(*note - this is a paid service)

Humanitarian Info

Pacific Logistics Cluster

Kiribati UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Information http://www.unocha.org/country/pacific/country-profiles/kiribati

Facts and Figures

Kiribati Wolfram Alpha Information http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=kiribati

Kiribati World Bank Information https://data.worldbank.org/country/kiribati

Kiribati Population Information http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/kiribati-population/

1.1 Kiribati Humanitarian Background

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration
Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities
Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response
- Government
- Humanitarian Community

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Disasters
Type	Occurs	Comments / Details
Drought	Yes	Severe droughts for rainwater tanks occur approximately every 4 to 5 years and have an average duration of 5 to 6 months. For domestic wells, severe droughts occur on average every 5.5 to 6 years and last, on average, 7 to 8 months.
Earthquakes	Yes	Located in the Pacific Ring Of Fire, there were 13 quakes above 5.5 magnitude in the early 1980s but none in past 15 years.
Epidemics	Yes	Malaria, Dengue Fever and Hepatitis B are prevalent.
Extreme Temperatures	No	n/a
Flooding	Yes	Regular flooding by seawater occurs during king tides or storms.
Insect Infestation	Yes	Disease carrying and crop eating insects are present.
Mudslides	No	n/a
Volcanic Eruptions	No	No recent eruptions.
High Waves / Surges	Yes	Kiribati land elevation is less than 2.5 meters. Regular flooding by seawater occurs during king tides or storms.
Wildfires	No	Christmas Island does experience regular bush fires during drought.
High Winds	Yes	Tropical Cyclones whilst generally not prevalent in these latitudes can have indirect effects (Pam 2015, Tia 1995).
Other Comments	Climate-related hazards such as salt-water inundation, droughts, plagues and epidemics as well as man-made hazards such as fires, oil spills and aircraft accidents pose challenges to the nation’s economy, food and water security,
Man-Made Issues
Civil Strife	No	n/a
International Conflict	No	n/a
Internally Displaced Persons	No	n/a
Refugees Present	No	n/a
Landmines / UXO Present	No	n/a
Other Comments

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Seasonal Effects on Transport
Transport Type	Time Frame	Comments / Details
Primary Road Transport	Wet season November to January	Heavy rains for up to a week may impede transport as a result of surface flooding. High tides are more problematic and can result in surface flooding 2 – 3 times per month.
Secondary Road Transport	November to January	As above.
Rail Transport	N/A	No Rail transport.
Air Transport	none	Air transport is not generally seasonally effected.
Waterway Transport	none	Waterway transport is not generally seasonally effected.

Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling
Activity Type	Time Frame	Comments / Details
Storage	Wet season November to January	Heavy rains may result in damage during loading/unloading and transporting perishable goods.
Handling	Wet season November to January	Heavy rains may result in damage during loading/unloading and transporting perishable goods.
Other

Heavy rains may result in damage during loading/unloading and transporting perishable goods. During wet season however this is not a major constraint.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The Office Of The President has oversight of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). It has a Risk Management Plan in place and is working with UN agencies to formalise Standard Operating Procedures to ensure they are able to work in conjunction with UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations in case of disaster relief operations. These are scheduled to be in place later in 2018.

There is no military force and no defence or civil defence assets. Police have a patrol boat that is utilised in emergency rescue and work in conjunction with the NDMO in the case of major relief operations.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

Red Cross Society and UNICEF have staff based permanently in Kiribati. Red Cross has 2 containers of NFI prepositioned. They coordinate closely with the NDMO.

UNICEF has an ongoing WASH programme in schools and works closely with Government.

The Mormon Church provides water tanks and has some small stocks of relief materials.

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List

1.3 Kiribati Customs Information

Kiribati Customs Information
Customs Legislation
- Duties and Tax Exemption
- Customs Clearance

Kiribati Customs Information

The Customs head office is in the port town of Betio. They have staff based at Bonriki and Cassidy international airports in addition to the ports of Betio and English Harbour (Ronton). They will operate 24/7 as and if required.

Port customs clearance can be facilitated prior to arrival, otherwise clearance at port can generally be achieved day of arrival. The goal of Customs is to be operating in the ASYCUDA system and to become a WCO member in 2018.

Customs Legislation

See website for copies of the legislation http://www.vertic.org/media/National%20Legislation/Kiribati/KI_Customs_Act.pdf

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below: 4.1 Government Contact List

Emergency Response:

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to 'crisis' times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government. When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones:

Agreements / Conventions Description	Ratified by Country? (Yes / No)
WCO (World Customs Organization) member	No
Annex J-5 Revised Kyoto Convention	No
OCHA Model Agreement	No
Tampere Convention (on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations)	No
Regional Agreements (on emergency/disaster response, but also customs unions, regional integration)	No

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response):

[Note: This section should contain information on the usual duties & taxes exemption regime during non-emergency times, when there is no declared state of emergency and no streamlines process (e.g. regular importations/development/etc.).]

Under the Value Added Tax Act 2013 Import duties have been phased out in favour of a general VAT.

Duty is waived for Aid donors or similar agreements under signature of MFED.

Exemptions from VAT can be obtained for humanitarian and aid goods by applying to the Controller Of Customs with a letter stating the nature and purpose of such goods. This request will generally be facilitated within a day or days.

All NGO humanitarian agencies are able to operate in the country and apply for tax free importation of aid goods

Organisational Requirements to obtain Duty Free Status
United Nations Agencies
During non-emergency response times, tax-free exemption certificates must be applied for through Customs and Inland Revenue by letter, stating the nature and purpose of goods to be imported.
Non-Governmental Organisations
During non-emergency response times, tax-free exemption certificates must be applied for through Customs and Inland Revenue by letter, stating the nature and purpose of goods to be imported

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure:

Duties and Taxes Exemption Application Procedure
Generalities (include a list of necessary documentation)
During non-emergency response times, tax-free exemption certificates must be applied for through Customs and Inland Revenue by letter, stating the nature and purpose of goods to be imported. Documentation required is listed in the table below.
Process to be followed (step by step or flowchart)
Pre-shipment application is required to be sent in advance to: Comptroller of Customs, Kiribati Customs Service, P.O. BOX 503, BETIO TURAWA, KIRIBATI. Monetary Valuation - Customs require monetary valuation for the shipment on an individual item basis, in Australian currency. Restrictions - Fumigation and expiry date for food are required.

Response times for applications are generally within 2 -3 days.

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificate Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicle & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
Invoice	Yes , manifest/invoice required	Yes manifest/invoice required	Yes manifest/invoice required	Yes manifest/invoice required	Yes manifest/invoice required	Yes manifest/invoice required
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes, original	Yes, original	Yes, original	Yes, original	Yes, original	Yes, original
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Packing Lists	No	No	No	No	No	No
Other Documents	Information on NGO and beneficiaries	Information on NGO and beneficiaries	Information on NGO and beneficiaries	Information on NGO and beneficiaries	Information on NGO and beneficiaries	Information on NGO and beneficiaries

Customs Clearance

General Information

Customs Information
Document Requirements	Documents must be provided to Customs for clearance on arrival as per the table below.
Embargoes	None
Prohibited Items	Firearms or Imitation firearms Stamp Coin and currency counterfeit Indecent articles Prepared opium or dangerous drugs Food which is considered: i. injurious to health; ii. unfit for human consumption; iii. unclean, putrid, decayed or diseased. Infected cattle, sheep etc. Matches containing white or yellow phosphorus. All goods of foreign manufacture bearing any name or trade mark being or purporting to be the name or trade mark of any manufacturer, dealer or trader in Kiribati Armorial bearings Flick knives, gravity knives and knuckle dusters Gaming machines Goods, the importation of which is prohibited by any other law in force in Kiribati.

Customs Information

Document Requirements

Documents must be provided to Customs for clearance on arrival as per the table below.

Embargoes

None

Prohibited Items

Firearms or Imitation firearms

Stamp Coin and currency counterfeit

Indecent articles

Prepared opium or dangerous drugs

Food which is considered:

i. injurious to health;

ii. unfit for human consumption;

iii. unclean, putrid, decayed or diseased.

Infected cattle, sheep etc.

Matches containing white or yellow phosphorus.

All goods of foreign manufacture bearing any name or trade mark being or purporting to be the name or trade mark of any manufacturer, dealer or trader in Kiribati

Armorial bearings

Flick knives, gravity knives and knuckle dusters

Gaming machines

Goods, the importation of which is prohibited by any other law in force in Kiribati.

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Requirements are the same for UN and NGOs

1 copy of documents required

Customs Clearance Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicles & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
D&T Exemption Certificate	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original
Invoice	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original
Packing Lists	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original	Yes, Original
Phytosanitary Certificate	Yes, Original (for relevant plant based foods) Sanitary certificate needed for animal based foods eg milk powder	No	No	No	No	No
Other Documents
Additional Notes - Medicines must be on the Kiribati approved medicines list to be accepted, and well within expiry date. Any medicines donated that are expired, or not on the approved list, will be destroyed.

Transit Regime

There is no official transit regime for goods in Kiribati. It is not practically a transit country for any other destinations given its geographic location.

1.2 Kiribati Regulatory Departments and Quality Control

Office	Responsibilities
Office of Te Beretitenti (OB) / Office of the President	Head of Civil Service Functions National Security and Civil Defense National policy coordination Disaster management Climate Change Policy Government Information and Public Relations Ministerial coordination Police and prison Central Procurement Board Chairmanship Cabinet Task forces Chairmanship
Public Service Office (PSO)	Public Service Management and Improvement Public Service Performance & Service Delivery Managment Develop and update Public Service Personnel Information database, staff list, professional training and development of Civil Service Professional training and development of civil service Kiribati Housing Corporation Managing expatriate assistance to civil service (Overseas Volunteers and Technical Assistance)
Kiribati Police Service	The control and regulation of traffic Fire and rescue service Maritime policing Maintenance of law and order
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI)	Manage affairs with Regional and International Organisations (UN and its agencies, Commonwealth Secretariat, Forum Secretariat, Secretariat of the Pacific Commission) Coordination of national positions in relation to International Agreements and Conventions Provide and oversee Diplomatic Services, Immunities and Privileges to Resident Foreign Missions
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED)	Development Planning and Aid Administration Procurement regulations Taxation Kiribati Provident Funds Freight levy subsidy
Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy	Construction and maintenance of roads and highways Technical and Civil Engineering Services Regulating provision of electrical services Water and sanitation engineering Energy planning Quality assurance and building codes enforcement
Ministry of Communications, Transport and Tourism Development (MCTTD)	Regulation of communications and transport (land, aviation and maritime) sectors Civil aviation Airport fire and security Air terminal facilities and services Search and rescue Radio/TV Licensing Air Kiribati Limited Kiribati Shipping Services Ltd Communications Commission Kiribati Telecom Kiribati Services Ltd Kiribati Ports Authority Transport Services Navigational Infrastructure Reef passages Maritime Authority
Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS)	Health and medical services Paramedic services Public health and sanitation Communicable and non-communicable disease control UNFPA World Health Organization Pharmaceutical and Medical Stores Services Preventative and Public Health Programs
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development (MELAD)	Waste and Pollution Management Integrated coastal and foreshore management and protection Monitoring scientific debates on Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Maps and mapping Quarantine and Bio-security Wildlife conservation and protection Phoenix Islands protected areas - Kanton ecotourism development
Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development (MLPID)	Assisting in Land Management in Kiritimati and the other islands in the Groups in consultation with the Minister concerned and cabinet Line and Phoenix Islands administration
Ministry of Women, Sports and Social Welfare (MWSSW)	Womens Affairs Social Welfare Services and Probation Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Non-Government Organisations Kiribati Sports Authority Kiribati National Olympic Committee
Ministry of Justice	Prisons Customs
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development (MFMRD)	Maritime Safety Competent Authority
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)	Local Government Act Bylaws Auditing and maintenance of local government's assets Kiribati Local Government Association

Other Ministries

Ministry of Education (ME)

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MCIC)

Ministry of Labour and Human Resources Development (MLHRD)

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List here.

2.4 Kiribati Railway Assessment

There is no operating commercial railroad in Kiribati.