By Mary Lyn Fonua

An increasing number of Tongan civil servants have been exiting government work since 2022, with 861 vacancies recorded in 2025, the Budget Statement for 2025/26 reveals.

Higher pay on donor funded projects and migration are cited as two factors in the trend.

In 2022 there were 496 vacancies compared with 597 in 2023, 759 in 2024 and 861 in 2025.

“The number of vacancies increases each year due to increasing exits from government work, with higher compensation available for technical positions on donor funded projects, while migration is also a factor, particularly in the MET (Education), MOH (Health), Police, HMAF,” stated the analysis of vacancies.

The Government average budget allocation for vacancies has been around $7.6m since FY 2022.

It said substantial savings were made from unfilled vacancies, and as the number of vacancies continues to increase annually the budget allocation for vacancies is being reduced. “The reducing of vacancies allocation to 40 percent of minimum point of band level will continue into FY 2026,” said the Budget Statement.

However, at the same time overtime spending increased as existing staff levels took on extra workloads, particularly in the Health Ministry.

The Minister of Finance Hon. Dr ‘Aisake Eke, addressed these concerns in his budget statement to parliament in June.

Seasonal worker schemes

The statement recognized the social implication of seasonal worker schemes and that the increasing outflow of domestic labour presents a growing challenge to the Tongan domestic workforce.

“The increasing participation of Tongan citizens in the PALM and RSE schemes, offered by Australia and New Zealand, provide attractive income earning opportunities but can raise social challenges and impact the domestic labour market. 

“To address this, the Government has engaged with Governments of Australia and New Zealand to explore improvements in the design of labour mobility schemes—such as promoting shorter contracts, enhancing pre-departure counselling, and providing reintegration support.”

The Budget Statement said government is also seeking to capitalize on the specialist skills of returning seasonal workers “to reduce over-dependence on overseas work, and ensure that migration remains a choice, not a necessity.”

Risks

Tonga’s “limited human capital” is identified as a risk to its growth and stability. To mitigate this risk, it is aiming to cultivate a skilled workforce capable of driving domestic growth.

“Tonga faces ongoing challenges related to its limited human capital, particularly in relation to areas requiring specific expertise such as specialized healthcare. High staff turnover in the public service exacerbates this concern.”

While acknowledging the economic benefits of remittances, the government said a pressing concern is the "brain drain" phenomenon, where skilled individuals seek opportunities abroad, resulting in a loss of expertise which could otherwise play a critical role in Tonga's development and innovation.

“The Government is responding by investing more in education and training programs, and establishing the Tonga National University. These measures aim to build a skilled and productive workforce while ensuring the retention of skilled workers within the country,” it stated.

Recognizing the strain on sectors like agriculture due to dwindling labour supply, iI stated that Tonga is exploring technology adoption including the potential for partial automation. The government is also taking steps to enhance private sector participation in the economy, creating more job opportunities, and contributing to the development of Tonga.