Tarawa, Kiribati – 30 October 2025 – The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is pleased to announce the launch of the PIFS E-Biz Plus program in Kiribati, a regional initiative designed to strengthen e-commerce capabilities and empowering Pacific businesses to participate in the digital economy.

“We’re excited to begin work in Kiribati,” said Zarak Khan, Director of Programmes and Initiatives at PIFS “Through this program, we are supporting the private sector with the tools, training, coaching, and grants needed to drive e-commerce development, all aimed at strengthening trade capacity and advancing the goals of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.”

In partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC), PIFS met with members of the Kiribati National E-commerce Sub-committee and the National Trade Advisory Committee, to discuss and validate tourism and general merchandise as priority sectors to be addressed in the E-commerce Business Toolkits, marking the first key step in the program’s implementation in Kiribati.

Firstly piloted in 2023, the PIFS E-Biz Plus program delivers on Measures 6.1.2 and 7.1.1 of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap. To date, the program has supported businesses in the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Its expansion to Kiribati has been made possible through funding from the Pacific Digital Economy Programme (PDEP).

“PDEP’s support to E-Biz Plus in Kiribati shows how regional partnerships can turn digital opportunities into real gains for Pacific businesses,” said Aneth Kasebele, Regional Technical Specialist – Policy and Regulation, PDEP. “The lessons from Kiribati will help shape a more inclusive digital economy across the region.”

PDEP is a joint initiative of UN Capital Development Fund, UN Development Programme, and UN Trade and Development, is financially supported by the European Union and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.