St George Palace construction nears completion [1]
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 - 17:07. Updated on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 - 18:38.
Construction of Tonga’s new government office block, St George Palace at Pangai Si’i in the Nuku’alofa Central Business District is on schedule to be completed on 17 July for opening in August this year.
Pesalili Tuiano, Director of the Engineering Division at the Ministry of Infrastructure said today construction carried out by Shanghai Construction Group Company Ltd of China is on time to its original schedule for completion.
A date in August will be confirmed later on for the opening.
When the construction phase is completed, the final phase of landscaping the compound will be carried out by the Government of Tonga through the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The $25 million pa’anga three storey building,a gift from the People’s Republic of China, was an initiative of the late King George Tupou V.
The building has a red turret, similar to the 19th Century colonial architecture of the Royal Palace.
On completion, St George Palace will accommodate the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Public Service Commission.