Dr Sione Ngongo Kioa has been appointed as Tonga's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom succeeding Mrs. Viela Tupou, the Tongan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced today.

From 2002 until his current appointment, Ngongo was the CEO/General Manager of Leiola Duty Free Shops as well as the President of the Tonga Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Nuku‘’alofa.

In 1992-96 Ngongo served as Deputy Director of Central Planning. He became the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Finance from 1996-99 and then continued on to the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC as the Assistant Executive Director until 2001. On his return to Tonga he was appointed as the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policies, Ministry of Finance. In 2002 he became the Project Manager, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Operation of Cyclone Waqa.

Ngongo an ex student of Tonga High School attended the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji and the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Economics.