New government defers job cuts until 2012 [1]
Friday, June 10, 2011 - 10:50. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
By Pesi Fonua
The critical task of downsizing Tonga's civil service has been deferred until next year while the government is trying to figure out how to make the cuts that have defied resolve for over a decade.
Tonga's budget crisis remains that 75% of the budget goes on the salaries of the civil servants - leaving only 25% and not enough for all other expenses.
Year after year there is simply not enough funding to run the services that the government needs to provide for the public because too much is going on salaries.
In January, in commenting on the state of the Economy the Prime Minister said that the amount for salaries should not be more than 51%.
Others assess that at least 10 heads of department posts will have to be cut.
Retreat
A program to restructure government bodies, the Ministries, the Boards, the Commissions, the Taskforces and other things, was endorsed by Cabinet during a four days retreat in Neiafu, Vava'u from 20-23 May this year.
The program to restructure government bodies, according to a government communiquá, will drive the Strategic Development Framework, which has been endorsed by cabinet to guide, "the economic and social development policies of Government" during the next three and a half years, before the next parliamentary election.
The Framework powered by a National Development Vision they state is, "To develop and promote a just, equitable and progressive society in which the people of Tonga enjoy good health, peace, harmony, and prosperity, in meeting their aspirations in life."
September report
The Head of the National Development Committee, Tufui Faletau said that a working group, the Government Structural Reform Group (GSRG) had been established. It is chaired by the Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano with members, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu; the Minister of Finance, Hon. Sunia Fili; the Minister of Public Enterprises Hon. Clive Edwards; the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lord Vaea; and the Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo.
The GSRG has a tight working program. It is scheduled to present an interim report to Cabinet by 30 September 2011, then a Final Report by 20 December 2011, and the implementation of the reform by 1 July 2012.
Reduce the Civil Service
Tufui said that in a nutshell, the major task of the GSRG is to reduce the Civil Service. "At the moment 75% of the government's annual budget is spent on the salaries of civil servants, and the remaining 25% is to provide the service to the public. It is far too small."
Tufui said that at the moment there are 26 Chief Executive Officers, "too many and what they are looking at is to reduce it to say 15. It is not an easy task, but it has to be done."
The purpose of the retreat in Vava'u was for members of the Tongan Cabinet and government's CEOs to review Tonga's current economic status, look at how they could achieve it from the Tonga Strategic Development Framework and the Tonga Energy Roadmap (TERM).
The TSDF will not be implemented until the 2012-13 Financial Year, when the reformed structure of government bodies will be implemented.
Renewable energy goal
Meanwhile, and the Tonga Energy Roadmap (TERM) is expected to achieve its goal of 50% reduction of Tonga's reliance on imported fuel for its electricity consumption.
But that goal has been described as being too ambitious. Tonga is a member of the inaugural Council of IRENA, and the Director General of IRENA HE Dr Adnan Amin who was in Tonga for the review of TERM noted "but that ambition is the driving force to achieve the goal."
Editor's Note Tufui Faletau has confirmed that she is not the head of the National Development Committee, as we stated in our story. She said that she is only the Deputy Secretary, and they provided the secretariat services for the Cabinet Economic Development Committee CEDC during the Retreat in Vava'u. The CEDC is chaired by the Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano with members, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu; the Minister of Finance, Hon. Sunia Fili; the Minister of Public Enterprises Hon. Clive Edwards; the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lord Vaea; and the Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo.
The Government Structural Reform Group (GSRG) which was tasked with the planning for the restructuring of government bodies, including government Ministeries, is chaired by the chair person of the Public Service Commission PSC, Mishka Tu'ifua, and the Solicitor General, 'Aminiasi Kefu is also a member. A plan to restructure government bodies has to be presented to the CEDC first before it is tabled into Cabinet.
Tufui also clarified that 75% of the budget of Line Ministries is spent on salaries, varies from Ministry to Ministry. But with regards to the overall national budget, only 55% is spent on salaries.