From the House by Pesi Fonua

Four Constituency Reports of People Representatives from Vava’u, and Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou were passed by the House last week from 7-8 October.

Significant this year was that some Nobles’ Representatives participated in the Constituency tour. In the past it was defined as a tour by the People’s elected representatives to meet, find out the urgent needs of their constituents and report back to the House.

However, since the political reform there has been an annual budget allocation for the People's Representatives to finance some of the development projects that either they or former People's Representatives have initiated in their constituencies.

The constituency budget allocation has been continually on the rise since its introduction in 2010. Today, in some areas it is regarded as the main source of funding for constituents' development projects.

The situation has become quite complicated, as government allocated millions of pa'anga for national development programs, such as the recently announced $300 million pa'anga national roads development program and for thousands of water tanks to be distributed to the public.

This year the constituencies budget allocation is the biggest ever at $250,000 for each of the 17 People’s Representatives (quarter of a million pa'anga each).

For the first time, there is also an allocation of $50,000 for each of the nine Nobles’ Representatives who were also on tour of their Estates.

There is no set formula for how People’s Representatives allocate their Constituency Fund. Each has their own procedure and what they consider to be the priority needs of their constituents.

Meanwhile, the public roads and the water tanks national projects, are becoming complex issues because half of these massive projects, will be implemented before the General Election at the end of 2021, and it will be a government decision to decide in which constituencies their public roads will be constructed and who be issued with free water tanks.

However, some constituents appear to be on track with their public roads and water tanks funded with their annual constituency's budget allocation, and with constituency's fund raising programs.

Vava'u

Hon. Samiu Vaipulu the Vava’u People’s Representative PR No. 15, who is the Minister for the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development explained that the $250,000 annual Constituent Budget Allocation for Constituency No. 15, remained with the Treasury, and the fund is dispatched once an invoice is presented.

Water supply and computers for schools were identified as the urgent needs, so by the end of the 2020-2021 Financial Year each of the more than 2000 families in Constituency No. 15 will have their own water tanks.

There will also be computers for four secondary schools: 15 for Kelana, 30 for Mailefihi and Siu’ilikutapu, and 20 for Tailulu.

The Committee of  the Whole House passed the 2019 and 2020 Constituency Tour Report of Hon. Samiu Vaipulu with votes of 16-0.

Energise Constituents

The People Representative for the Vava’u Constituent No. 16, Hon. ‘Akosita Lavulavu, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Tourism stressed that the theme of working program for her constituency is to Energise Constituents No. 16.

There are 12 villages in Constituency No. 16, and their priority needs, according to Hon. ‘Akosita Lavulavu, is to tar-seal all the town roads, and to have coral on all rural roads.

Besides the road project she said that each village has its specific needs. The most urgent need for the village of Leimatu’a is to improve their water supply and they also need three or four tractors.

They also need bus stops, public transport, a health clinic and new public toilets with septic tanks.

A computer room and a library for the village of Feletoa; and mid-day meals for primary school, hopefully to be fully implemented by next year.

An extension of the Lupepau’u Airport.

Hon. ‘Akosita Lavlavu’s Constituency Tour Report was carried with 16-0 votes.

'Uta Vava'u

Dr Saia Piukala, the People Representative for the Vava’u Constituent No. 14 said that there are 11 islands with 5 villages, but at ‘Uta Vava’u (a portion of his constituent that occupy a part of the Vava’u main islands) there are 10 villages.

The floors of all primary schools in his constituency had been tiled, government provided the tiles, and the communities did the rest. Dr Saia, emphasised that when “you give money to the community with Trust, they do the job.”

However the islands of Ovaka and Noapapu, are desperately waiting for their wharves to be fixed.

The most urgent need for Constituency No. 14 is for a road to connect the three villages of Kapa, Falevai and ‘Otea which are on the same island of Falevai.

Saia stressed the urgent need for the people in these villages to have access to each other easily, instead of having to travel by boat to see each other.

Apart from special requests by Saia, with pride he talked about how villages raised funds to buy tractors and to build some of their urgently needed roads.

The Constituency Tour Report of the Vava’u People Representative No. 14, Dr Saia Piukala was carried with votes of 17-0.