Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku held a bilateral meeting with the Executive Director of the World Bank, Group of Southeast Asia, Dr. Wempi Saputra, in Washington D.C. last week.

The Prime Minister's Office said they discussed areas that could better assist Tonga in line with the goals of the World Bank,

Direct assistance for the rebuilding and renovating of buildings after natural disasters will help to lif households out of extreme poverty

There is also a need to factor in strong resilient classrooms that can withstand up to five categories of hurricanes.

Supporting a shift to digital learning and online services will help to avoid disruptions to students’ learning, especially during hurricane seasons.

Further discussions were centred around development and recovery of tourism, agriculture and key sectors of the Tongan economy, whereby mechanisms may be put in place to incentivise those who are badly affected by natural disasters.

The meeting ended in a positive note, based on mutual interests to end extreme poverty and achieve shared prosperity, the Prime Minister's Office reported.

The Prime Minister and his delegation were in Washington D.C. for the second U.S.-PIF Summit.