Tonga to establish new embassy in Tokyo [1]
Monday, June 25, 2012 - 21:12. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
From the House, by Pesi Fonua
The Tonga government will establish a new embassy in Tokyo, Japan, during the coming 2012-13 financial year, following the approval by the Tonga Parliament of a budget of over $5.7 million for running Tonga's nine overseas missions, on Thursday, June 21.
There was no opposition from Members of Parliament to the decision by government to establish an embassy in Tokyo, despite a public understanding that Members of Parliament would try and cut government expenditure this year, particularly on its foreign missions.
A People's Representative, 'Aisake Eke, raised his concern about the possible misuse of a Tonga Trust Fund for establishing a diplomatic mission, when the law specified the fund was for national development.
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo told parliament on Monday, June 18, that the late King George Tupou V in Council had approved the establishment of the Tokyo Embassy on 19 November 2010.
He said that there were two parts to the decision of the King in Council, and one was for an amount of $1.2 million to be withdrawn from the Tonga Trust Fund and made available for the establishment of an embassy in Tokyo.
(The budget item for the coming year shows $600,010 for the Tokyo Embassy, and the rest for two other projects).
Surprise expense
The parliament's acceptance of the decision came as a surprise after talks by Cabinet Ministers during the year of a possible cut back in Tonga's diplomatic missions overseas as a mean of reducing government expenses.
When parliament finally approved the Vote for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (22-0), the only cut back was the closing down of the Tonga High Commission in Wellington late last year and its relocation to 'Atalanga, Auckland, as a Consulate General.
Discussions over a possible closing down of the Tonga's High Commission in London, and relocating it to a Consulate General mission in Brussels, have been postponed. The Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano said that the London mission would remain as it is until the completion of the term of duty of the current High Commissioner, Dr Ngongo Kioa.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of Tonga having these overseas missions, but he expressed his disappointment with a lack of communication between these missions and the Prime Minister's Office. He said that it was his responsibility to revitalize the networking between these missions and Nuku'alofa, but he admitted that there was a lack of communication to keep him informed of what was going on in their part of the world that was of importance to Tonga.
Under the 2012-13 National Budget, the total Vote of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is $8,084,465.
The total allocation for Tonga's nine overseas missions is TOP$5,733,795. They are:
San Francisco, $1,065,804;
New York, $989,843;
Beijing, $914,078;
Auckland, $707,852;
Tokyo, $600,010;
Canberra, $453,445;
London, $416,200;
Brussels, $356,116.
Honolulu, $230,477.