Two Tongan business women, 'Ofa Simiki and 'Elenoa 'Amanaki were last night awarded by the Princess Regent, Princess Pilolelvu Tuita, with the inaugural Westpac Business Women of the Year awards.

'Elenoa 'Amanaki was the recipient of the Executive Business Woman of the year award and 'Ofa Simiki with the Business Woman of the year award. Prizes for the awards included a trip to Melbourne, Australia, with all expenses paid to attend the Telstra Women in Business awards dinner on October 23.

'Elenoa is the General Manager of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission and 'Ofa is the owner of the OSB Store.

At the Janful International Dateline Hotel, the event was hosted by women - Mishka Tu'ifua, the General Manager of the Westpac Bank of Tonga, the first Tongan and first woman to be the General Manager of the bank, and the MC Teimumu Tapueluelu Schock, who is the bank's legal adviser.

The patron and the guest of honour was the Princess Regent of Tonga Princess Pilolevu Tuita.

The Princess in her key note address said that Tongan women were playing prominent roles in all areas of the community, but the only place where they are not allowed to enter was the exclusive gentlemen's club, the Nuku'alofa Club, where only once a year women are allowed in.

The awards mark the bank's 30th year of operation in Tonga.

Before the announcement of the winner of the two categories, the Executive Business Woman Award and the Business Woman Award, the five finalists of each category were called to the front and were presented with presents and certificates. A profile of each finalist was shown on a big screen.