By Katalina Siasau
Saimone Kapetaua Vuki (52), the newly elected People's Representative for Ha’apai 12, believes the economic development of the Ha’apai Group has been neglected for years.
Vuki secured the Ha'apai 12 seat with 434 votes (29.99% of his constitutency) in last week's General Election, beating caretaker Minister for Tourism and Justice, Mo’ale Finau, who had 389 votes (26.88%).
Vuki, a Tonga College old boy, has a Bachelor in Economics and Politics from the University of the South Pacific, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Canberra, and a Master of Business Law from the University of Sydney.
He served the government for eight years in the Ministry of Labour, Commerce, and Industries, before joining Shell Petroleum and, among other roles, focused on management consulting, entrepreneurship, and import/export.
Ha’apai
Speaking with Matangi Tonga Online this week, 25 November, Vuki expressed concern over the population loss in Ha'apai as its people leave to seek opportunities elsewhere.
“To me [Ha’apai] has been neglected for many years in economic developments and I believe that's why a lot of people from Ha’apai move to the main island and emigrate overseas.”
He believed there is lack of focus on the outer islands by the central government in Nuku’alofa, and he entered Parliament to advocate for government to address this development gap.
He wants to see opportunities to generate income from agriculture and fisheries in Ha'apai.
He also is advocating for an international wharf in Ha’apai, that would allow direct container ships to offload at Lifuka, which he views as being essential for Ha'apai’s development.
Petrol crisis
Vuki's immediate concern is the current petroleum shortage, a field where he has significant expertise, having served as the Secretary of the Competent Authority for five years, before becoming a project development manager for Shell Company.
“Right now, I'm really concerned about the status of the petroleum shortage in this country. It remove me from everything right now," he said.
“I want to work with the new government on this project, to ensure that we have a long term plan to make sure that this will never happen again.
“We need a new blood in parliament, new ideas, new visions.
“Tonga has been stagnant for a long time. We need to build our economic development, our export is only 30 million pa’anga a year, and our import is 700 plus million a year. If I'm a leader I won't sleep at night looking at that," he said.
"We need leaders that come in and look at the faces of the people and say, "We have to do something different."
Vuki's family is from Felemea, Uiha, Mango, Pangai, Ha’ano, Tungua, and Nomuka. He grew up in the outer islands, attending primary school at Felemea in 'Uiha, before leaving for a higher education.
He is married with two children.
