TOKYO (Kyodo) -- An official of the Japan International Cooperation Agency leaked information regarding a bid for a railway rehabilitation project in the Philippines financed by low-interest yen loans, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

JICA imposed a one-month suspension on the official in July after he leaked cost estimates and other project details to a Tokyo-based construction consulting firm, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki said at a press conference.

A joint venture involving the consulting firm won the bid conducted by the Philippine government in 2019 and signed a contract worth about 1.5 billion yen ($10 million) the following year.

During JICA's investigation, the official explained he had leaked the information due to "a need to expedite the project," according to the agency.

"The government takes the incident very seriously and will closely supervise JICA's measures to prevent recurrence," Aoki said, adding the agency will strengthen staff training on confidentiality obligations and other regulations and ensure thorough information management.