New homes construction underway for tsunami evacuees [1]
Thursday, September 8, 2022 - 14:37
Construction is well underway for people whose homes were affected by the 15 January volcano and tsunami event carried out by the Government of Tonga.
Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku said in a press conference on 7 September, that 70% of the construction work has been done.
This includes construction of houses in Popua, Sopu, Masilamea, Matatoa in Tongatapu and Ta’anga in ‘Eua.
Ha’apai construction work is also set to start soon, with plans to complete the houses before Christmas.
The PM thanked all partners who had come together to ensure that there is a speedy response to the needs of the reconstruction project.
Visa Waiver
At the same time, Cabinet approved a waiver of overstay fees effective on 7 September.
This was in response to local requests from overseas communities who had issues with their visas here.
The waiver begins from September 12 until December 12, 2022.
It covers all overseas citizens who have been overstaying in Tonga before the COVID-19 lockdown and during the COVID-19 lockdown, which was proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All those applying for the waiver have to register with the Tonga Immigration Department.
“We urge all those who have issues with their visas to take full use of this opportunity. For our Fijian community members, we urge them to come in and use this as government is also reciprocating what the Fijian Government is doing with our students and Tongans in Fiji,” said the PM.