Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Tuvalu’s southernmost island of Niulakita is located within the tropical cyclone boundaries of the South-West Pacific. However, this does not exempt the northern eight islands from adverse effects of tropical cyclone and extreme events.  

The wet season of Tuvalu is plagued by tropical depressions that could become tropical cyclones or destructive hurricanes.  

Natural hazards in Tuvalu include tropical cyclones, storm surge, drought, inundation, coastal erosion and pest infestation. 

Each year, one or a combination of natural hazards, adversely affects the livelihood of the people on all of the islands.   

 

Due to the low-lying nature of the atolls, rising sea levels arising from climate change compound existing threats. In terms of priority, the greatest disaster threats facing Tuvalu are cyclone, drought and tsunami 

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters  - please note that no data is currently available for Tuvalu

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

 GOVERNMENT 

The National Disaster Council is the principal executing body at national level acting on behalf of Cabinet. The NDC is the peak decision-making body during times of disaster, providing advice to Cabinet on strategic decisions e.g. the need for international assistance.  

The Council comprises: 

• Secretary to Government (Chair) 
• Commissioner of Police 
• Secretary – Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development 

• Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development 
• Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources 
• Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Trade, Environment and Labour 
• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Transport 
• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health 

• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Utilities and Infrastructure 
• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports 
• Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) 
• Director, Public Works 
• Secretary, Funafuti Kaupule (traditional assembly of elders on each of the islands of Tuvalu) 

• General Secretary, Tuvalu Red Cross 
• Disaster Policy Coordinator (Director NDMO)

On occasion, partner agencies may be invited to sit in NDC meetings as observers. 

When a disaster is declared, Foreign Affairs notifies international partners (governments, humanitarian agencies etc.) if assistance is needed 

The role of the Police during disasters is to act as first responders during emergencies and on the outer islands often take the leadership role during disasters/emergencies in coordination with the Disaster Island Committee and assist in assessment and distribution of relief supplies.   

There is no military force and no defence or civil defence assets, In the event that military aid is supplied from overseas, the Police Commissioner would be the focal point for interaction. 

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

HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY 

The Tuvalu Red Cross delivers programmes on Disaster Management, Health and First Aid. It operates from national to community levels in providing disaster preparedness and response support. 

Red Cross has prepositioned NFI stocks in 20’ containers on the islands of Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niu. Nukufetau, Niutao, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu in addition to stocks at the main depot in Funafuti. 

See Annex 5.6 

The Australian High Commission as represented by the Maritime Surveillance Advisor based with the police. The Maritime Surveillance Advisor provides support through the Australian delivered Defence Cooperation Programme. The Advisor provides a number of support activities in areas such as maritime security, border control, search and rescue support. 

The NZ Aid Programme has an office however it is not a fully-fledged High Commission; rather the office manages projects funded by New Zealand as well as any assistance work funded by New Zealand. 

There is a joint UN office in Tuvalu. During crises, the Joint Presence Office (JPO) reports to UNDSS and the UNDP office in Suva.  

UNDP has a permanent staff and ongoing projects including the Tuvalu Coastal Adaption Project (TCAP) aimed at reducing vulnerability and resilience building in relation to climate risks (more information available at https://tcap.tv/about-tcap) for a list of their other ongoing programmes please see Annex 5.2

UNICEF is present and running programmes centring on child welfare in schools, health and immunisation. 

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

 

National disaster risk management structure for Tuvalu (during crisis) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disaster relief is the direct responsibility of the National Disaster Committee with formal requests put through the Ministry of Finance and Economics for exemptions of customs duties. The Ministry then advises Customs that these items will require exemptions from tariffs. There are no formalised arrangements for customs clearance for relief items. 

Tuvalu Red Cross has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Customs Office for exemption of tariffs fees for all relief items. 

Tuvalu Customs had ratified the Revised Kyoto Convention and under this arrangement Customs will provide special treatment and full exemption for all consignments for disaster relief.     

For full details on CUSTOMS REVENUE AND BORDER PROTECTION ACT 2014 please use the following link: https://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/2014/2014-0015/CustomsRevenueandBorderProtectionAct2014_1.pdf 

Duties and Tax Exemption 

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below:  

4.1 Tuvalu Government Contact List

Emergency Response: 

The following table states which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones 

Follow this link to a full list of Tuvalu’s treaties: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Treaties_of_Tuvalu  

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response):  

 All applications for exemptions should be made to Tuvalu Revenue & Customs Department Commissioner of Revenue & Customs email: steisini@gov.tv / trcd@gov.tv 

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure:  

 

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements 

 

Customs Clearance 

General Information  

Customs Clearance Document Requirements 

Transit Regime 

N/A. Tuvalu is not a transit destination. No transit regime 

Tuvalu is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Effective executive power resides in the cabinet. The cabinet consists of the Prime Minister, who is elected by parliament, and up to four members of parliament The unicameral parliament has 15 elected members. Seven islands send two members, and one, Nukulaelae, sends one, Local government consists of a Town Council on the main island of Funafuti, and Island Councils on seven other islands. 

• Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs 

• When a disaster is declared, Foreign Affairs notifies international partners (governments, humanitarian agencies etc.) if assistance is needed. Sits on National Disaster Committee 
• Will facilitate entry for humanitarian personnel during emergencies if alerted in advance 
• Ministry of Finance and Economic Development 

• Disaster relief is the direct responsibility of the National Disaster Committee with formal requests put through the Ministry of Finance and Economics for exemptions of customs duties. 

• Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture 
• Ministry of Fisheries and Trade 

• Sits on National disaster Committee 
• Ministry of Health, Social Welfare and Gender Affairs 

• Sits on National disaster Committee 
• Ministry of Transport, Energy and Tourism 
• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports 
• Ministry Of Fisheries and Trade 

• Sits on National disaster Committee 
• Ministry of Justice, Communications and Foreign Affairs 

• Sits on National disaster Committee 
• Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development, Agriculture 

• Sits on National disaster Committee 
• Office of the Prime Minister 

• Convenes the National Disaster Committee in an emergency Regional Trade Agreements 

• Tuvalu is a member of the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA)   
• The South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA). 
• Member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)   

• The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations  Agreement (PACER) 
• General Scheme of Preference (GSP) 
• Everything But Arms (EBA) 
• The Cotonou Agreement 

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

 

Port Overview

Tuvalu has one port situated on Fongafale Island on the E side of Funafuti atoll. It is the port of entry.  

Funafuti Wharf is on the West side of the North arm of the island, 1nm N of the main town of Vaiaku.  

It handles general cargo almost exclusively containerised, and oil.  Catering to approximately 20 vessels annually. The types of vessels regularly calling at FUNAFUTI are Cargo (14%), Passenger (14%), Passenger/Cargo Ship (14%).   

Max draft: 8, Max LOA: 183, Max DWT: 20375 

Funafuti is the only port but there is a deep-water berth in the lagoon at  Nukufetau 

Key port information can also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

 

Port Picture

1 Port warehouse 

2 Funafuti Wharf 

3 Nippon Wharf 

4 Container area 1 

5 Container area 2 

Police Boat at wharf

Container storage outside port 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The port, stevedoring services, facilities and equipment are owned and operated by the Funafuti Port Authority, a government department, part of the Ministry of Communication and Transport. 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List

Port Performance

The port is small but not congested, average waiting time between arrival and berthing is not more than 24 hours. It caters to around 20 vessels per year. Maximum draft is 10m.  

There are no dockside cranes, so all vessels must have onboard gantry cranes for loading and unloading. There are forklifts dockside for moving and unstuffing containers.  

The port’s major limitation is lack of space for container storage additionally the storage area is neither paved nor level resulting in many containers being stacked on both sides of the road outside the port security fence.  

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

Dockage Dues 

(1) Berthing fee of any overseas vessel berthing alongside the wharf and under the control of the Harbour Master must pay a fee, at the rate of Gross Tonnage x $0.20 + $300.00. 

(2) Berthing fee for0 foreign yacht is $5.00 per metre length per day. 

4 Port Dues 

(1) Any vessel in port whether plying for hire or within the purlieus of such wharf shall pay port dues at the rate of 100 Gross Tonnage x the number of hours alongside x $1.20. 

(2) Any delays caused by the local port authorities due to equipment failure shall incur a diminution in the port dues prescribed in (1). 

(3) Any overseas vessels that anchors within the port limits shall be charged the   length per metre x $2.00 x number of days. 

(4) Port dues should be levied to overseas yacht in port whether plying for hire or otherwise at the rate of $50.00 per call (not exceeding 30 days) plus $5.00 per day (after 30 days). 

5 Dockage and Port Dues for Local Vessels 

(1) Any vessel owned or registered in Tuvalu shall pay dockage dues at the rate of Gross Tonnage x $0.10 + $100.00. 

(2) Any vessel owned or registered in Tuvalu shall pay port dues at the rate of 100 Gross Tonnage x number of hours x $0.80. 

(3) Any vessel owned and registered in Tuvalu that anchors within the port limit shall be charged by the length of the vessel x $1.50 x number of days. 

6 Wharfage Dues 

(1) Dues known as wharfage dues should be levied on all goods landed or discharged on any vessel including the Nivaga II and the Manufolau within the port when goods are handled by port personnel. 

7 Charges on Vessels being in the Harbour 

(1) Vessel license fee shall be levied on any vessel whether plying for hire, at anchorage or berth at the sum of $100.00 per visit. 

(2)  Environment levy fee should be charged to any vessel in port whether playing for hire or at anchorage at the rate of GRT x $0.05 per visit. 

(3) Security fee at the rate of $50.00 per day shall be applicable to all vessels. 

(4) Light dues shall be levied on all overseas vessels at the rate of $50.00 per visit. 

(5) Port users and shipping agencies shall pay the fee of $200.00 per annum for business conducted within the harbour vicinity. 

(6) Visitors to the port shall pay the fee of $2.00 per day for entering the area. 

(7) Vehicles other than Government vehicles shall pay the fee of $5.00 per day for entering the harbour. 

(8) Stevedoring charges shall be made against Master or Owner at rates set out in Schedule 1. 

(9) Equipment hire charges shall be made against Master or Owner, Importers and the public in general at rates set out in Schedule 3. 

8 Area 

(1) No storage charges shall be levied on inward cargoes (excluding perishable cargoes/goods). 

(2) Inward Cargoes must be cleared within 5 working days (28 days for transhipment) after which cargoes shall be charged for storage as per rates prescribed in Schedule 2. 

9 Dangerous Goods 

All kind of dangerous goods shall be cleared within 24 hours after arrival at the wharf after which dangerous goods shall be charged at $100.00 per tanktainer, cooking gas cylinder and 200 litres petrol drum containers. 

SCHEDULE 1 

(Regulation 7 (8)) 

SCHEDULE 2 

(Regulation 8 (2)) 

 

 

SCHEDULE 3 

(Regulation 7 (9)) 

 

 

Berthing Specifications 

 
  

General Cargo Handling Berths 

All berths are general cargo/container handling 

Port Handling Equipment 

The port equipment is managed and owned by the Funafuti Port Authority, a government entity.    

  

25MT forklift, Funafuti Port 

Container Facilities 

 

There are no specialist container facilities. Port is general cargo. 

Customs Guidance 

Customs are based in nearby township offices and work 0830 to 1700 Monday to Friday but present for all vessel arrivals. Clearance can be expected same day if notice is given prior to arrival. 

For more information on customs in Tuvalu please see the following link:1.3 Customs Information  

Terminal Information 

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL 

The terminal has been designed for multipurpose, general passenger, container and tankers 

No ro-ro facilities available 

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING 

No facilities for grain and bulk handling 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

Covered storage is secure CGI shed with concrete floors. 

Cargo Shed, Funafuti Port 

Stevedoring 

Stevedoring is not a private company; labourers are employed as casual under the government. Manual labour is used for unstuffing containers. 

Hinterland Information 

Goods are moved from port by private pickup trucks  

Port Security 

The area surrounding the docks is fenced although not totally secure and may be accessed from adjoining building. Security personnel are present 24/7 

Planned to improvements include paving and extension of the container storage area into the lagoon side. 

The aviation sector consists of an International Airport located in the main town centre, it services up to two ATR-72 flights per week from Suva as stipulated under the agreement between Fiji Airways and Tuvalu Government, and a supplementary flight to be staged once the travelling demand for both sectors have increased.   

Periodic weekly flights from Tarawa were started in early February 2018 for a period of two years under the Tuvalu and Air Kiribati contract, until early 2020 when Air Kiribati terminated their service.   

The Funafuti airstrip is the only airstrip in Tuvalu that is still operational and it’s the main gateway in and out of the country.   

The airstrip was constructed by the United States government during World War II. The runway has a length of 1,535 meters and a width of 30 meters, the surface was tar sealed in 1992 with a capacity of 50 tons that was reduced due to damage resulting from water covering part of the runway during very high tides. Resurfacing of the runway was done in 2017 under the Tuvalu Aviation Investment Project funded by the World Bank, additionally there were other supporting services procured under this project, including the Delivery of an Airport Rescue Fire Fighting Vehicle.  

A new terminal building and a Flight Service Tower Building were officially opened in 2018.  

The Ministry of Transport, Energy & Tourism (MTET) through the Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD) manages the airport operations and is responsible for compliance with national and international civil aviation requirements.  

Key airport information may also be found at: http://worldaerodata.com/ 

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List 

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft 

Aircraft registration  

1. The Director shall establish and maintain a system for the national registration of civil aircraft in Tuvalu.  

1. A civil aircraft shall not operate in Tuvalu unless it is registered in Tuvalu or is registered under the laws of a foreign country.  

1. An aircraft shall be eligible for registration if and only if it is not registered in a foreign country and, unless otherwise permitted by the Director by regulation, it is owned by —  

1. a citizen of Tuvalu.     

1. the Government of Tuvalu or a political subdivision of Tuvalu; or  

1. a body incorporated under the laws of Tuvalu.  

1. An application for registration shall be in such form, be filed in such manner, and contain such information as the Director may require.  

1. On the registration of an aircraft, the Director shall issue to the owner a certificate of registration.  

1. An aircraft shall acquire Tuvalu nationality when registered under this Act but a certificate of registration issued under this section shall not be considered evidence as to ownership in any proceeding under the laws of Tuvalu in which ownership of the aircraft by a particular person is or may be in issue.  

1. The Director may suspend or revoke a licence issued under this Act for any cause if the Director finds the suspension or revocation to be in the public interest. 

 

The full legislation can be viewed at  

https://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/2006/2006-0002/CivilAviationAct_1.pdf 

Permits for journeys other than scheduled journeys  

An application for a licence shall be in the form hereunder set out and shall be addressed to the Licensing Authority by registered post.  

I hereby make application for a licence to operate an air service, and declare that the particulars concerning my application are hereunder truly set out —  

PARTICULARS A  

1. Name and address of applicant.  

1. Places between which passengers or goods are to be carried.  

1. Places at which intermediate landings are to be made for the purpose of loading or landing  passengers or goods.  

1. Frequency of the service (including proposed time-tables).  

1. Number and types of aircraft proposed to be used on the service.  

1. Whether the service is to carry passengers or goods or both.  

1. Maximum fares to be charged to passengers in respect of any journey or portion of a journey for which separate fares are charged.  

1. Charges to be made in respect of goods and excess baggage. 

1. Date on which service is to commence. 

1. Period for which the licence is desired. 

 

Full details can be viewed at: 

https://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/SUBORDINATE/1964/1964-0047/AirTransportLicensingofAirServicesRegulations_1.pdf 

  

The total surfaced length of the upgraded road network is 15.5 km with an average width of 5 meters. The traffic loading is generally light and the total number of vehicles on the Island is approximately 1,200 units. The spectrum consists mainly of motor bikes (75%), motor vehicles (20%) and the remaining 5% light medium and heavy commercial vehicles. 

The main roads on Funafuti are paved, but other roads and on other islands are generally unpaved. Animals and unwary pedestrians walking in the road make night driving on unlit secondary roads hazardous.  

King tides and storms can result in debris on roads due to the country’s low topography. 

Due to the small size of Tuvalu the road network is adequate for its needs. Resurfacing work of the main roads was carried out in 2017. 

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

Road Security 

There are no security issues with the road network in Tuvalu.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits 

There are no weighbridges, axle load limits or land border crossings in Tuvalu.

There are no ‘internal’ waterways in Tuvalu however inter-island water transport is the main form of transportation for people and goods in the country. 

Many of the outer islands do not have docking facilities for large ships and therefore landing craft are the preferred option for transporting heavy cargo/vehicles, otherwise transhipment using small boats from ships anchored off the beach is the norm.  This can be challenging in the case of narrow entrances though the reefs particularly if any size of sea is running. 

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

Company Information

There are no private companies active in the market. Inter-island transport is mainly provided by government ships 

 For more information on waterway company contact details, please see the following link:  4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

 

 

 

Travel Time Matrix 

There is no commercial storage. Public sector storage consists of a number of buildings and sheds in various states of repair that could be used in an emergency situation The port has 1 large (1,000m2) secure shed that would be available. Other potential temporary storage options range from meeting houses to schools and churches. Although not all are fully secure, security on this small island is not a major concern. 

The outer islands have storage options, consisting of Public Works Department sheds, schools and meeting halls. 

The Red Cross has containers on each of the outer Islands for prepositioning NFI disaster preparedness stocks.   

For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List 

Commercial Storage 

There are no commercial storage facilities available   

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations 

Red Cross is the only humanitarian organization with prepositioned stocks on all of the islands using containers as storage facilities 

Red Cross storage facility, Funafuti

Meeting House, Funafuti Airport

Public Sector Storage 

 The secure public storage facilities are limited to the cargo shed at the Port. 

Storage shed at Funafuti Port

Cold Chain 

The only cold chain storage options are refrigerated containers.  

Princess Margaret Hospital has vaccine fridges  

- 4 x TCW 2000 AC, capacity 60L 

- 2 x TCW 4000 AC, capacity 240L 

- 1 x Haier (-80°C) for covid vaccines 

- 1 x Ice-line, capacity 40L 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.  

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider. 

Tuvalu has no milling capability. 

Fuel Overview 

Pacific Energy acquired BP’s assets in 2010 and now supplies 85% of Tuvalu’s fuel. They have 1 depot, 9 retail fuel stations and a total storage capacity of 0.8 million litres. They are also the airport fuel supplier. 

Two other smaller suppliers import fuel directly for sale. 

On Funafuti fuel is delivered to retail outlets by small tanker trailer (pictured below).  

Delivery to the outer islands uses 200L steel drums involving transference from larger ship to small boats that are able to access the beaches. 

Pacific Energy fuel storage  

For more information on government and fuel provider contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.7 Fuel Providers Contact List 

Information may also be found at: http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ which is updated monthly.  

Fuel Pricing 

Note: The Tuvalu Fuel Supply Company is a small operation located adjacent to the airstrip that has equipment to refuel planes with Jet A-1 supplied by Pacific Energy.   

Seasonal Variations  

  

Fuel Transportation 

Fuel is transported from the Pacific Energy fuel farm in a tank trailer towed by tractor to the outlets on Funafuti. Delivery to the outer islands uses 200L steel drums involving transference from larger ships to small boats that are able to access the beaches. 

Unloading fuel drums, outer island 

Standards, Quality and Testing 

 

 

  

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.  

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider. 

With a total distance of 15km end to end on the main island of Funafuti and the outer islands lacking roading infrastructure there is no need and consequently no road transport operators in the country. 

Small flat deck trucks (3-5MT) or utility vehicles are used to transport imported goods unpacked directly from containers at the port and the Public Works Department have two 10MT dump trucks for moving aggregate or similar loads and a 10MT flat deck with Hi-ab lifting crane. 

Given the small area of the island there are sufficient trucks to transport current requirements and to cope with surge demands. 

For more information on transport company contact details, please see the following link: 4.8 Transporter Contact List

There are no Transport companies. 

There is a good supply of manual labour. The overseas seafarers are well represented by their union of the same name, however there is little in the way of union activity for casual labour on land. 

There is no rate for semi-skilled laborers, just a starting rate for skilled and unskilled casuals. The rates used by Public Works Department (PWD) depends on the type of work that they do.  

There is no minimum wage in Tuvalu, although the Department of Labour is in the process of organizing dialogues with partners to set two minimum wage rates, i.e., 1 for Government, the other for the private sector. 

For information on the Labour & Employment Relations Act you can find details here: https://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/2017/2017-0014/LabourandEmploymentRelationsAct2017_1.pdf )  

 

 

Tuvalu Telecommunication Corporation (TTC) also known as Tuvalu Telecom is a state-owned enterprise. It is the sole provider of fixed telephone communication services, mobile services, and Internet services to the country. TTC rely solely on satellite communications.  It provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the islands of Tuvalu. Each island in Tuvalu relies on TTC for the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication and internet access. TTC also provides mobile phone services on Funafuti, Vaitupu and Nukulaelae.  

SIM cards can be obtained from the TTC office and top up vouchers for data are available at all stores. It should be noted at that at time of writing the app necessary to add additional funds to personal sim cards was only available for Android phones, not for Apple.  

Mobile phones can receive but not make international calls. 

Currently there are no restrictions in placed for the purchasing of sim cards but this is something that the company is considering before the rolling out of mobile money services. 

  

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link: 4.11 Additional Services Contact List 

Telecommunications Regulations 

  

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems 

 There are no existing humanitarian telecoms systems.   

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

Tuvalu.tv is the sole provider of Internet access in Tuvalu. Connections rely solely on satellite communications. 

The ISP is operated by the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Department of the Government of Tuvalu. 

In July 2020, the Government of Tuvalu signed a five-year agreement with Kacific for 400Mbps to 600Mbps of satellite capacity. the agreement provides a comprehensive turnkey service including sixty 1.2 metre VSAT terminals (satellite dishes) for schools, medical clinics, government agencies and small businesses, forty outdoor WiFi access points to support community connectivity with WiFi hotspots, three maritime antennae to connect ferry services, and one Ka-band antennae to provide trunking and backhaul services for the mobile phone network. The network experiences regular outages that may last several hours. 

        

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) 

The state-owned Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC) is the only telecommunication provider on the islands. It provides mobile phone services on Funafuti, with expansion plans to all the remote islands. 

 Connectivity to network is 4G however downtime occurs regularly and may last for hours or days 

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.  

 

The country relies almost totally on imports, as there is no local manufacturing or production industries and very limited capacity for agriculture, as a result, although the market meets current local requirements it would be reliant on scaling up imports to meet any demand surges. 

Tuvalu’s main export is non-fillet frozen fish, around 60 per cent of imports are primary products (fuel, food) 

Merchandise exports as a percentage of GDP in Tuvalu are very low (less than 1 per cent) while merchandise imports are high (over 50 per cent of GDP) 

The small market of Tuvalu discourages competition. Most basic services and infrastructure are State-Owned Entities (SOEs). 

To encourage competition, the Government of Tuvalu through the Ministry of Finance has engaged the services of the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative to review the current framework for market operation with an emphasis on competition. This engagement is currently in progress.  

Naficot Fish Market is a segment of the National Fishing corporation of Tuvalu that focuses on meeting local demand for fish products including; fresh, smoked and salted fish. As fish forms part of the staple diet,  it is crucial to sustain the supply of fish products  

Fishermen on Funafuti (FOFA) Fish Market provides storage and market facilities to sell fish supplied by small commercial fishermen and the 81-members of FOFA. With the introduction of the Food Bank Mechanism under the Tuvalu Sustainable Healthy Food Strategy, FOFA aims to diversify its products to include agricultural and fishery products from the outer islands. 

Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a general overview of country data related to the service and supply sectors, please consult the following sources: 

The Observatory of Economic Complexity – MIT (OEC): IN https://oec.world/en/profile/country/tuv)  

Tuvalu Trade Portal https://tuvalu.tradeportal.org/media/tuvalu_05.pdf  

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.