China will this month officially handover the Nuku'alofa Central Business District Project financed with a TOP$118 million loan to the Government of Tonga.

Paula Ma'u the Acting Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet said a tentative date for the handover ceremony was set for August 14, to be held at a public car park in the Nuku'alofa CBD. A high level Chinese delegation was expected to arrive in Tonga later in the week for the ceremony.

Project

The handover marks the completion of the project financed under the TOP$118 million loan, which is the biggest that the government has ever made from China.

Projects completed included the Tungi Colonnade, Taumoepeau Building, O.G. Sanft Building, City Assets (Molisi Tonga Building), the renovation of the Royal Palace, Royco Building, the Vuna Wharf, and civil works which included roads works repair, drainage and a public car park.

The last building completed was Tungi Colonnade, which was handed over to the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in June.

The Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano, who is currently on his first official visit to Israel, returns to Tonga on August 13.

Six years after riots destroyed the heart of Nuku'alofa on November 16, 2006, the reconstruction work which started in 2009, is completed.