The Tonga government is investigating the cost of setting up two new Tonga Consular offices in Canberra and Wellington for possible inclusion in the new budget for 2008-09.

The Acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Tevita Kolo, said today that government is proceeding with plans to set up the two new Consular offices and is looking at how it finance the setting up of the offices.

He said they would have to wait for Parliament to pass the budget before the end of June to see whether there was money allocated for it.

"So by July 1 the beginning of our new financial year we should know whether there is money or not,"” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Tu'a Taumoepeau-Tupou and the Foreign Affairs Secretary Va'inga Tone have travelled to Australia and New Zealand to look at possible locations and sites for the offices and to report how much it will cost, he said.

Tevita added that it is the king...’s wish for the new Consular offices to be set up, supported by the Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele and the Tongan Cabinet.

Tonga currently has consular offices in New York and San Francisco in the United States, and in London, United Kingdom.