The Tongan economy and governance issues will be discussed tomorrow in Nuku'alofa in "Tonga Update", a program of the Australian National University, Canberra, and the Ministry of Finance, Tonga.

The Tonga Update program aims to bring together members of the community, the public service and international commentators to discuss recent economic and governance issues of interest to Tongans, said Professor Andrew MacIntryre, Director of ANU's Crawford School of Economics and Government.

Tonga's Minister of Finance Hon. Siosiua 'Utoikamana will open the day's discussion by presenting a keynote address on his Economic Survey of Tonga. There will also be presentations on tourism development, the Anti-Corruption Bill, culture and corruption. In the afternoon there will be a panel discussion on agriculture in the Tongan economy, followed by papers and discussion on trade liberalisation in small island countries; and on the Pacific community in New Zealand.

Governor of the Reserve Bank of Tonga, Joyce Mafi will chair the program.

Tonga Update is supported by AusAID.

The program is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. It will be held in the Kalia Room at the International Dateline Hotel on Friday September 21 from 8:45 am to 4:15 pm.