Louis Berger scam in rear view, JICA wants ‘highest standards of ethics’ as it talks to Goa again

New Delhi: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), India’s biggest bilateral donor, has emphasised the need to uphold the “highest standards of ethics and transparency” in reference to concerns about providing a Rs 2,000-crore loan to the Goa government, after a previous JICA-funded state project in the 2010s got mired in controversy.

It was reported last month that the Goa government is eyeing a Rs 2,000-crore JICA loan to finance the power department’s underground cabling, substations and meter installations work.

Speaking to ThePrint Tuesday, Saito Mitsunori, chief representatiive, JICA India Office, said discussions with the Goa government are at early stages and any project would require an official request from the central government.

“We held extensive discussions with the [Goa] department of power to explore possibilities of funding support for renewable energy as well as small-scale generators and…