Top public and private sector executives in Tonga on 18 July 2007 completed a three-day meeting aimed at formulating a new export strategy for the Pacific island state.

The working retreat which started on 16 July has been supported by the Special Advisory Services Division (SASD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries, as well as the Tonga National Economic Development Council.

Isaac Njoroge, a trade adviser in SASD and the technical expert facilitating the meeting, told CNIS from Tonga that the objective of the retreat was to generate consensus among key stakeholders about what direction the future of the export sector in the country should take.

"Consensus means that all concerned parties come to agree that this is the direction we would like to take. This is important in ensuring ownership of the strategy," he said.

Mr Njoroge added that the strategy is meant to improve Tonga's competitiveness in goods and services within international markets.

The support to Tonga is in the broader context of the efforts by the Commonwealth Secretariat to enhance competitiveness of member states in the Pacific.

"There are growing concerns that many countries in the region are poorly positioned to successfully engage in a more liberal business environment brought about by the winding back of various favourable trading agreements," said Nikhil Treebhoohun, Adviser and Head of the Trade Section in SASD.

The Secretariat has been actively involved in providing technical assistance to small states in responding to challenges of globalisation through competitiveness and development initiatives. Commonwealth Secretariat, 20/07/07.