Dealing with Construction Permits in
Kiribati
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
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Building a warehouse
-
Estimated Warehouse Value:
AUD 1,827,204
- City: Tarawa
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Apply for land use sublease at the Land Management Department
Land in South Tarawa is leased to the government for 90 years. The type of warehouse featured in the DB case study is most likely to be built in South Tarawa's Betio, Bikenibeu, or Bairiki areas, where land must be subleased from the government.
An applicant writes an expression of interest for a sublease to the Land Management Department (LMD) at the Ministry of Environment, Land and Agriculture Development (MELAD). LMD will then inspect the site and determine constraints and opportunities for land use.
Agency: Land Management Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 2 |
Receive inspection from the Land Management Department
The application form outlines all requirements for the submission of construction plans.
Agency: Ministry of Public Works and Utilities
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 3 |
Request and obtain approval from the Telecom Services Kiribati Limited (TSKL)
BuildCo must submit the site plan and location to TSKL so it can visit the site and confirm that there are no underground cables and the plot is safe to excavate. TSKL must then stamp BuildCo's building permit application.
Agency: Telecom Services Kiribati Limited
|
7 days
|
AUD 1
|
| 4 |
Request and obtain approval from the Public Utility Board (PUB)
BuildCo must submit the site plan and location to PUB so it can visit the site and confirm that there is no danger to underground electricity cables and water pipes and the plot is safe to excavate. PUB must then stamp BuildCo's building permit application.
Agency: Public Utility Board
|
7 days
|
AUD 1
|
| 5 |
Obtain land use sublease approval from the Sublease Advisory Allocation Committee (SAAC)
The Sublease Advisory Allocation Committee (SAAC) must approve the sublease. Meetings of SAAC are chaired by the Secretary of MELAD and are supposed to take place once a month. However, as of October 2010, there had not been a meeting since July 2010.
Once approved by SAAC, the request is submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval. Then, the final document is signed by the Honorable Minister.
Agency: Sublease Advisory Allocation Committee
|
90 days
|
no charge
|
| * 6 |
Request and obtain environmental license
According to the Environmental Act 2007, BuildCo must obtain an environmental license to determine whether its activities will have an environmental impact. BuildCo must complete an environment license application form and deposit it, along with the site plan, zoning certificate, and proof of ownership, to the Environment and Conservation Department (ECD) of MELAD. ECD will prepare a report and determine whether a full Environmental Impact Assessment is required. However, the type of warehouse featured in the DB case study would most likely not need a full EIA.
Agency: Environment and Conservation Department
|
15 days
|
AUD 10
|
| * 7 |
Request approval from the Public Works Department
BuildCo must submit the following documents:
• Site Plan
• Building layout Plan
• Building views
• Building sectional views
• Building details (such as footing, doors and windows)
• Plumbing
• Elevation
The application must be accompanied by plans certified by a qualified engineer. In practice, the same people who prepare the plans are also responsible for approving them. The plans are returned with a list of building conditions. Several departments will be approving the plans.
Note: Since the plans are done by someone at the Public Work Department, approval of those plans does not take a long time. Also, it is done in parallel with obtaining all the other clearances as there is no need to provide those clearances to the Ministry to get the approval of the plans.
Agency: Public Works Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 8 |
Receive inspection from the Public Works Department before construction is commenced
According to the Environmental Act, the Environment Minister’s consent is required for all commercial developments. The application must be accompanied by the environmental impact assessment. The time to obtain the consent varies from weeks to several months.
Agency: Ministry of Environment
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 9 |
Obtain approval from the Public Works Department
Agency: Local Land Planning Board
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| 10 |
Request and receive approval from the Local Land Planning Board and pay the building permit fee
The Local Land Planning Board reviews all submitted documents and assesses whether (a) site is free for development; (b) development is in line with detailed land use plan; (c) all clearances from relevant authorities have been collected. It is supposed to meet once a month, but the first meeting in 2006 took place in mid-March.
Another possibility is calling an immediate meeting, which means that the applicant must pay for the time and transportation of all 18 members of the board. The normal cost is 1% of project value.
Agency: Telecom Services Kiribati Limited
|
30 days
|
AUD 3,750
|
| 11 |
Receive inspection from the Public Works Department - I
Agency: Public Utilities Board
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 12 |
Receive inspection from the Public Works Department - II
Agency: Public Utilities Board
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 13 |
Receive inspection from the Public Works Department - III
Agency: Public Utilities Board
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 14 |
Obtain certificate of occupancy
|
7 days
|
no charge
|
| 15 |
Request and obtain water and sewage connection from Public Works Department
Agency: Public Works Department
|
10 days
|
AUD 30
|
| 16 |
Request and receive connection to telephone line
Agency: Telecom Services Kiribati Limited
|
14 days
|
AUD 85
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.