Research Economist, Saleema Razvi, from the Copenhagen Consensus Center, visited Nuku’alofa this week, working on an independent report that will help Government set priorities and choose the best development projects to fund or invest in.

The study will look at Tonga’s development plans.

The report of an independent Rapid Cost-benefit Assessment of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework (2015-25), expected to be released soon, will be presented to government.

"This report can be used as a guideline for decision makers in policy making, in regards to the best projects for investment," she said.

“With this report, we identify the most cost-effective and cost-efficient way a country can make in the interest of its national agenda and in its National Development Plan.”

Saleem said that Tonga is the first Pacific Island to undergo this analysis, which has been carried out by the Copenhagen Consensus Center, under a global project ‘Halfway for the SDGs 2015-2039 - Where to invest best for the endgame', funded by the Bill Gates Foundation. 

The Royal Oceania Institute in Tonga facilitated the analysis, which started after an MOU was signed between Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu and CCC President, Mr. Bjorn Lomborg in 2022.

Saleema Razvi, is holding the final round of meetings in Nuku’alofa, and said the report will be not only presented to government but will also be publicly accessible on websites.

She said this information can also be used to empower citizens who can take up issues, which they can push for from their leaders.

“Our analysis is a simple cost benefit analysis with methodology standardized by CECC that looks at the benefits and costs of the interventions and makes recommendations to government.”

Independent

Josie Payani, a former CEO of the New Zealand Council for International Development and now an independent consultant for this project, helped to initiate the project.

"I read about this project that CCC was doing in other countries on the cost benefit analysis of local government policies in countries, including that in Africa and the Middle East, which belongs to that local government not to donors. I thought it is a great localisation tool and a great way of the Pacific to own their data, the analysis, evidence and what policies works best and which don't."

“We are not donors. This is an independent analysis from some of the best economists in the world so to get the independent analysis of Tonga and what it does with it is Tonga’s decision. Government can go to donors and pick something from our list and set the agenda for development. Because as with donor countries changes in governments, priorities can shift from climate change to infrastructure and so forth.

“Where is Tonga’s voice in this, so this is very much a localisation tool to give Tonga the empowerment that it needs to make the decision for themselves and get donors to get fund the things that Tonga wants funded,” she said.