Ministry of Tourism confirms private management of QS Hall and National Centre [1]
Monday, February 16, 2009 - 19:11. Updated on Thursday, July 30, 2015 - 15:26.
The Minister of Tourism Hon Fineasi Funaki announced today that the Ministry has outsourced to private contractors the management of the Tonga National Centre and the Queen Salote Memorial Hall.
The Minister confirmed it released the management of the Queen Salote Memorial Hall to Simote Po'uliva'ati and the Tonga National Cultural Centre is under the management of 'Etuate Lavulavu, a member of Parliament.
He said the contract signed with these two private managers would run for five years and within that duration they were required to pay to Government a monthly rental fee of $3,000 pa'anga.
"If they breach the contract like failing to pay the rental fee, then they stand for immediate termination of their contract as provided by the contract," he said.
Government will put up $300,000 pa'anga for renovations and refurbishment work of the centres ($150,000 pa'anga each).
The Minister also clarified that the private contractor, 'Etuate Lavulavu will have to match the $150,000 pa'anga put up by the Government for the refurbishment work.
Two thirds of the money put up by Government for the refurbishment of the National Centre has been used up.
The allocation for the QSMH had yet to be taken-up, confirmed the Minister.
He said if a private contractor wished to invest more say up to $1 million pa'anga, then Government would have to review the duration of the contract.
The ownership of the two assets remains with the Government it is only the management that is being outsourced, confirmed the Minister.