The long awaited report of a Parliamentary Select Committee on how the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation NDC administered and spent the TOP$118 million loan from China for the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa, is still being prepared, according to Dr Sitiveni Halapua, a member of the Select Committee.

Sitiveni told Matangi Tonga Online yesterday, March 1, that a large part of the report had been written, but they were awaiting information from the private companies, which were contracted to carry out the construction work, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC; CaBella Pacific Construction; Fletcher Construction Company and BECA.

He was hopeful though that they should be able to complete their research by the end of March, and produce a final report on the NDC before the end of April.

The Parliamentary Special Committee was second group engaged by the government, following a controversial decision by the new government of Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano to engage researchers to write a report on how the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation administered the government loan of TOP$118 million from a Chinese bank for the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa.

An earlier group entrusted with the same assignment at the end of April 2011, was made up of Dr Brown Pulu, Melino Maka and 'Ahongalu Fusimalohi.

A report of this group was presented to the Prime Minister in early June but it was denounced as being inadequate and unreliable; and the group was dismissed.

Then in late July Cabinet tabled a Motion for a Resolution in the Tongan parliament for a parliamentary committee to write a report on the NDC. They were given the same terms of references as the first group.

The Parliamentary Committee was made up of 'Akilisi Pohiva and Dr Sitiveni Halapua, and they were given the privilege to hire people from outside to help them with their research.

On 20 December 2011 an emergency session of the Tongan parliament was called to deliberate over a Private Bill that was tabled by 'Akilisi and Dr Sitiveni Halapua for the Parliamentary Committee to be given the same legal status as a Royal Commission. The Bill was rejected by the House, but the Special Parliamentary Committee was turned into a Select Committee with two new members, the Speaker, Lord Lasike, and the Deputy Speaker, Lord Tu'i'afitu.