By Pesi Fonua

A massive national roads project that aims to tarseal 2,149 kilometers of roads throughout Tonga, is underway with a $15 million pa'anga allocation in the government's 2020-2021 national budget. It's a fraction of the $300 million that is needed to complete the task.

The work is slowly getting into motion, according to Hekisou Fifita, the Acting Director of the Civil Engineering Division of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Manager of government road projects.

The roads work in each island group is divided among Tonga’s 17 constituencies: 10 in Tongatapu, one in ‘Eua, two in Ha’apai, three in Vava’u and one for Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou.

Under the project, there will be 1020km roads in Tongatapu, 505km in Vava’u, 244km in Ha’apai, 245km in ‘Eua, and 135km in Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou.

Constituencies Tongatapu 10, 'Eua 9 and Niuas 17 have been prioritised.

Tongatapu 10

According to Hekisou this national road project has started in Tongatapu, at Constituency No. 10, the costituency that is represented by the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa. Next up will be ‘Eua Constituency No. 9, the Constituency that is represented by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Tevita Lavemaau; and at Niuafo’ou, Constituency No. 17 that is represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Vatau Hui.

At Constituency No. 10 they are in the final stages of complerting two Hala Hola, (escape roads) in case of a tsunami, including one Hala Hola for the village of Manuka and another for the village of Nukuleka, both going eastward to Taufa'ahau Road.

Once they have completed their tarsealing of roads at Constituency No. 10, they will move on to Constitueny No. 6, represented by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Vuna Fa'otusia and Constituency No. 7, represented by the Minister of MEIDECC, Hon. Poasi Tei.

Hekisou, said that at this stage of the project, they are concentrating on constructing tar-sealed roads.

A different project will be responsible for the building of walkways and water drainage.

Vava'u and Ha'apai

Road work in Vava’u is on hold awaiting the arrival of road works equipment.

Road work in Ha’apai is deferred while they are trying to complete the cyclone reconstruction work.

Regular maintenance work

However, besides the national roads plan for each constituency there are also urgent maintenance needs by other constituencies that Hekisou and his small team of 45 workers have to address. So to do maintenance, they have to stop their national roadwork project and address these urgent needs, which range from flooded roads to erosion repairs.

Hekisou admitted that around $300 million pa'anga is required for the government’s 2149km national roads project to be completed within four years,

It is an enormous undertaking, taking into account that Tonga government does not have the expertise and the equipment, or the workforce and, of course, the money.

But the work has to be done and they do only what they can, with the limited budget available, “the best that we can do is to make sure that everybody is happy.”

Opposition

Meanwhile, in parliament the government's roads project has been objected to, vociferously by some People's Representatives, particularly the Tongatapu People's Representatives, No. 1 Siaosi Pohiva, No. 2 Semisi Sika, No. 4 Mateni Tapueluelu and No. 9 Penisimani Fifita.

The budget allocation under the 2020-2021 National Budget for the national roads project amounts to only $15 million pa'anga, a mere fraction of what is required.