Photos by Pesi Fonua and Linny Folau

Tonga’s state of democracy appears to be advancing, but with regards to the state of Tonga’s economy, there is a lack of “vision”, King Tupou VI pointed out when he opened Tonga 2019-20 Parliamentary Session this morning, 30 May 2019.

King Tupou VI said that democracy entails including all sectors of society in a public consultation and making the choice of the people important.

“This is an important aspect of democracy because if not, the decision making by one continues benefitting only a select few.”

The King then said what is lacking at the moment is a vision to improve the state of our economy. Despite this it should be based on a qualification that is recognized internationally and meet the criteria of workplaces in Tonga and overseas.

Therefore the most important aspect to assist in improving the state of the economy and workplaces is to have a technical school that can provide qualifications for youths that leave school, he said.

“I am happy that this kind of course has been started by Friendly Island Shipping Agency (FISA). I do hope that the agency’s international counterparts can utilize this so that we can have a qualification that is recognized internationally,” he said.

“We should not continue with the current method of training our youths today. We need to try and teach them work skills that will help them for the rest of their lives while creating more jobs,” he said.

“One aspect of this sort of training is the importance of consuming food moderately and physical exercise. That is important to develop our children’s physical and mental wellbeing. This creates good manners and ensures they lead fruitful lives in the future, which will not just benefit them but the society as a whole,” he said.

"It is time to bring together all the resources of this country for the betterment of all. If we have a national resource we must use it for the benefit of our country."

King Tupou VI then wished members of parliament well in their deliberations this year.