We Are Tomodachi Autumn 2017

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13The program extends support primarily to Southeast Asia, but also to South Asia, Africa,Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Central Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Europe.Southeast Asia 59%Agriculture 22%Environmental/Energy 19%Water Purication/Management 15%South Asia 16%Africa 11%Latin Americaand the Caribbean6%East and Central Asia 3%Oceania 3%Waste Management 9%DisasterPrevention 9%Vocational Training/IndustrialDevelopment8%Health andMedical Care 7%Middle Eastand Europe 2%The program provides tailor-made solutions based on evaluations of local needs.Breakdown by RegionBreakdown by FieldSocial Welfare 2%Education 2%Other 8%increased use of automobiles has led to a greater demand for gasoline storage tanks in Vietnam, in turn creating a need for safer double-wall tanks. Careful study of local markets and planning of local storage tank production lines supported by JICA greatly facilitated our entry into Vietnam,” explains the President of Tamada Industries’ Vietnamese subsidiary, Yoshihisa Tamada. Tamada Industries used JICA’s support to cooperate with Vietnam’s largest supplier of petroleum products, Petrolimex, and undertook efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of double-wall tanks, share its production expertise, and develop maintenance and inspection procedures. Furthermore, locally trained engineers made great contributions by eagerly applying their newly-acquired skills.Tamada Industries established its Vietnamese subsidiary in 2013, which currently employs approximately 70 individuals. Yoshihisa Tamada enthusiastically states, “By increasing the number of safe tanks in Vietnam, we can prevent accidental leaks as Japan experienced in the past. We promote sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental protection.”JICA’s Executive Senior Vice President, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, introduced this JICA program that has supported Tamada Industries’ activities in Vietnam. He explains, “Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) used to consist mainly of aid for large-scale infrastructure, such as developing airports, highways, and bridges, just to name a few examples. However, now that the pursuit of sustainable development has led to a diverse array of issues, what developing countries need nowadays is small but tailor-made support that incorporates promising technologies. In response to such changing needs, our mission is to connect developing countries with Japan’s SMEs, which are an invaluable source of diverse technologies and expertise. As these partnerships contribute to solving the world’s problems, Japan’s SMEs also gain confidence that their own technology and expertise have great potential to help developing countries. What we are trying to do with this program perfectly matches our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and we will continue making effort for high-quality development.”Breakdown of the program for assisting the overseas expansion of Japan’s SMEs (April 2012 - June 2017)Kazuhiko KoshikawaExecutive Senior Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)