Editor,

Many thanks to David Tapiaka for his letter on 27/04 "A call for Overseas Tongans to invest in Tonga" publicly supporting my letter published last month calling for Tongans abroad to invest in Tonga and help re-build our little Kingdom. I am pleased to report that the feedback from Tongans at home and abroad has been overall amazingly positive. Some requested that I communicate my ideas directly to the PM and the Finance Minister, and that I put forward proposals on how Tongans from abroad could financially aid the economic recovery back home.

I am hoping to make contact with the Tongan High Commission in London this weekend to discuss various aspects of my ideas. There are questions that need answers and suggestions that need exploring before we could definitely say, yes we can set up the project Code Named "Operation Tonga Reconstruction"

I am hoping to talk to the Tonga High Com here in UK about the following:

1) Government Bonds and Corporate Bonds - Tongans abroad could easily raise over 3 hundred million pa'anga over the next 12 months.

2) Finance Sector in Tonga - Banking etc. Set up trust funds?

3) Shoreline - Is it still for sale? Can we look at renewal energy - to run alongside Shoreline?

4) Tongasat - Is it up for sale? If not, is there a possibility that shareholders might be considering selling their shares?

5) Privatisation - Are there any public services that could be better run by the private sector?

6) WTO - why did Tonga join this organisation? What is the benefit of being a member?

7) Short term Plan and objective: to rebuild Nuku'alofa from the ashes.

8) Long term Plan and objectives:

A) Research the possibility of exporting manioke as processed animal food, flour and others.

B) Research the possibility of establishing a fish canning factory. Assist with the export of seaweed - limu.

C) Market Tonga as an alternative call centre for rich countries

D) Improve that aviation service - bring it up to world standards.

I made enquiries with the Reserve Bank of Tonga about Government Bonds back in March and the short answer was that at present, we from overseas can't purchase the bonds abroad. I gather it might be to do with paperwork and documents that one needs to sign etc. I was told that the Bank is looking into how to accommodate us. So, I suppose that we just have to wait and see.

While we are waiting, I will suggest to the UK Tongan High Com. when I speak to him that:

1) These types of documents etc should be made available in every Tongan Embassy or Consulate around the world, where all we need to do is go to the nearest office and complete the form, sign it, then arrange for funds to be transferred back to Tonga.

2) Seek out volunteers from each country, train and task them with running presentations and selling these types of investments to the Tongans abroad. In this way, every single Tongan is given the opportunity to invest and help re-build our Nation.

Politics:

The broad picture indicates that a small but significant section of our people is not happy with how things are done in Tonga - that is why 16/11 happened. This is a factor that one could not afford to ignore. If I have anything of any value to say to these people, it is simply this. Before we rush to change our political system, let us all, first and foremost, try to regenerate the economy. Hopefully we will have enough funds in the future to educate our folks in towns and villages about the value and benefits of democracy. We will have a better platform to negotiate with our King, our nobles and our Government

'Ofa atu kitate kimoutolu kotoa

Senolita Swan