Results for Business

FROM OUR ARCHIVES, 24 April 2012. Two Tongan grandmothers who attended India's Barefoot College last year, have returned home with new skills ready to start installing new solar panels to provide electricity in under-privileged homes in their swampland community of 'Isileli. FROM OUR ARCHIVES, 24 April 2012.

The new Tonga Village Network Upgrade Project will not only upgrade power distribution in 17 villages throughout Tongatapu, but it is also creating jobs and industry training for 10 Tongan linesmen.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a Landing Station for a $US33 million submarine fiber-optic cable telecommunications network for Tonga, was led by the Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano at Sopu, on the Nuku'alofa waterfront on January 24. The US$33million project, jointly funded, 80% by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and 20% by the Tonga Communications Corporation, is expected to be in operation by the second quarter of 2013.

Mangoes are slowly ripening-up on trees under the hot December sun, but despite what appears to be an abundant mango season, fewer mangoes will be left for humans after the C.g. fungus spoils flowers and premature fruit, and the flying foxes or fruit bats (pekas) take their share of what is left. Agricultural expert, Semisi Pone, reveals why the season of fruitfulness in Tonga is not what it used to be, and the serious threat posed by a fruit fungus.

The Westpac Bank of Tonga in its effort to make banking easier for its customers, launched a new mobile phone banking service in Nuku'alofa on November 28, allowing registered customers to perform select banking transactions from their mobile phones whenever and wherever there is mobile coverage.

The construction of a $12 million Solar Farm on Tongatapu, began with an official groundbreaking ceremony at the Popua Power Station on Thursday, 10 November.

The growth prospect for the Tongan economy is expected to remain slow in the next six months on the back of uncertainty in the global economy, according to a statement from the National Reserve Bank of Tonga on November 1.

In an effort to revive its dying fishing industry Tonga has opened up its tuna fishing to licensed foreign fishing vessels, the Ministry of Fisheries has confirmed.

After a six years lapse, the Tongatapu's Royal Agriculture, Fisheries and Industries Show returns with abundant displays of traditional Tongan foods, beautiful handmade handicrafts as well as seafood fish at the Manamou'i Grounds at 'Atele from October 14-15.