The new Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mrs Polotu Paunga of Ma'ufanga was appointed today, 26 March, at the Public Service Commission in Nuku'alofa, where she signed a four years contract with the Government of Tonga.

Mrs Paunga's career in the Public Service began in 1994 when she was appointed Assistant Secretary in the Women Affairs Unit at the Prime Minister's Office. During this time, Mrs. Paunga joined the national preparations to be in Tonga's delegation to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, led by the late Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata'aho.

In 1999, Mrs. Paunga was promoted to Senior Assistant Secretary and in 2001 promoted to Deputy Secretary.

In 2006, the Women's Affair's Division was transferred to the Ministry of Education Women's Affairs & Culture, where Mrs. Paunga served as Deputy CEO, then to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2012,  where she served multiple times as Acting CEO.

Mrs Paunga holds a Master's degree from Auckland University, and a Bachelor's degree in English, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Sector Management (1999) from Massey University in New Zealand.