The Legislative Assembly has approved three Public Bills submitted for urgent discussion in Parliament on 29 March.

This includes the Retirement Fund Amendment Bill 2023, Retirement Fund Board Amendment Bill 2023 and the District and Town Officers Amendment Bill 2023.

Parliament's website reported today the Prime Minister Hon Hu'akavameiliku, under with section 33 of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Assembly submitted a letter to the Speaker for Parliament to consider these Public Bills as matters of urgency. 

The main purpose of the amendment to the Retirement Fund Amendment Bill 2023 is to expand the definition of 'member' under section 2 of the Principal Act to include and admit new members to the Retirement Fund Board. 

The Retirement Fund Board Amendment Bill 2023 was another urgent Bill. The main purpose of this amendment to section 2 of the Principal Act is to expand the definition to include new members of the Retirement Fund Board.

The proposed amendment inserts a new definition for the Employer and Member. The new definition expands the members to include employees of public enterprises or corporate entity, Government Body, Government Organization, Government Agency, Government Commission, or Statutory Board.

Parliament also approved the District and Town Officers Amendment Bill 2023.

The proposed amendment to section 10 and 11 of the Principal Act is to allow District and Town Officers to have access to gratuity after completing four-years of service, instead of 15-years which is currently provided in the existing legislation.

In other matters, Parliament passed for the Public Account Standing Committee to further consider Tongatapu 5 MP’s Private Bill, the Remuneration Authority Amendment Bill 2023. It approved the Private Bill after its first reading.

This is one of the two Private Bills tabled into Parliament by Tongatapu 5 MP, ‘Aisake Eke. His other Private Bill, proposed amendments will be incorporated into the current section of the Government’s Anti-Corruption Commissioner (Amendment No.2) Bill 2023.

Meanwhile, Parliament endorsed the referral of Government’s Financial Statement for the year ended on 30 June 2022 for further scrutiny in the PAC Committee. Its referral was based on MPs request for more briefing sessions on the financial statement.