From the House, by Pesi Fonua

A government decision and a Parliamentary Motion to stop the construction of temporary houses for the victims of Cyclone Ian in Ha'apai has left the reconstruction in limbo, as the government pursues its objective of allowing only the building of permanent houses at a cost of $48 million even though no one knows where the funding will come from.

As of today, April 22, only two transitional houses have been built on the island of Mo'ungaone, since the Category 4-5 cyclone destroyed more than 70% of homes on the islands of Mo'unga'one, Ha'ano, Foa, Lifuka and 'Uiha on January 11.

Government has publicized a plan to reconstruct 800 houses at an estimated cost of $48 million pa'anga.

A Motion Resolution that was presented to the Tongan Parliament on March 31, for government to stop building temporary houses for the people of Ha'apai has stirred up some lively discussion in the House.

Mo'ale Finau the People's Representative for the Ha'apai constituent No. 12 was very aggressive in his demand for government to stop the construction of temporary shelters, and build only permanent houses.

The Tonga Red Cross had build two “transitional houses” for two families with disabled members, on the island of Mo'unga'one, and was planning to build 24 more units to get people into shelter, when they were stopped by government.

Mo'ale argued that it was an unnecessary expense to build temporary shelters and then permanent houses. He was adamant that he had a plan on how 800 houses valued at $60,000 a house could be built for Cyclone Ian victims before the end of the year.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Samiu Vaipulu told the House that government had informed the Tonga Red Cross to stop building temporary shelters. He pointed out that the Red Cross had not been authorized to construct temporary houses. He said that the authorities did not know who was the builder, and the houses had not been inspected to ascertain that the houses they built were up to the required standard.

He said the aim of the government's Ha'apai reconstruction program was intended to keep the people of Ha'apai living in Ha'apai, to rebuild their economy.

Mo'ale's plan for permanent houses of victims of Cyclone Ian intended to utlise the $10 million (USD) or $20 million pa'anga that the World Bank had offered, plus the 180 houses, valued at $10 million pa'anga that the Church of the Later Days Saints had offered to build, so 540 houses could be built. Moale believed that with the involvement of the Red Cross and CARITAS, a Catholic Church charity organization, it would leave only 100 houses for the government to finance.

At this point of the discussion in Legislature, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu moved for the motion to be thrown out of the House, because he said the member was talking about money that they did not have. With regards to the number of houses that the Church of the Later Days Saints could build, he had spoken to one of the leaders of the Church of the Later Days Saints in Tonga who was in the USA to negotiate with the head office of the church on the exact number of houses they could build.

Mo'ale, a member of the Church of the Later Days Saints, however, was very certain that the church could finance 180 houses. He said that he was told 181 houses but he just rounded it off at 180.

Implications

The former Minister of Finance, Lisiate 'Akolo queried the implications of the World Bank relocating Tonga into a Medium Risk status instead of High Risk with regards to borrowing money from banks.

The Minister of Finance, Hon. 'Aisake Eke told the House that the downgrading of Tonga from high risk to medium risk meant that with any funding from the World Bank to Tonga 50% will be a grant and 50% will be a loan. That means that $10 million of the $20 million from the World Bank would be a loan to the Tongan government.

Despite the uncertainties over whether government wants to proceed with a $10 million loan from the World Bank, 'Aisake said that World Bank has found $2 million from a different source, and that money is already with the Treasury to set up a strategy on how to get funding for the reconstruction of Ha'apai.

Mo'ale's Motion Resolution was downgraded from a Motion Resolution to just a motion, and then quietly left the Whole House Committee for the Cabinet to decide what was best to be done.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu told the House that they were hopeful that they could finance the reconstruction of Ha'apai with grant funding and it should be completed before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the report of a survey to ascertain land ownership in the devastated islands of Ha'apai by a team from the Ministry of Land is yet to be endorsed by the Minister of Land Lord Ma'afua before it is presented to Cabinet, said a spokes person for the Ministry of Land. On the ground in Pangai, our reliable source reported that the only reconstruction work that is going on the main island of Lifuka, is the reconstruction of the Free Wesleyan Church in Pangai.