There were loud exchanges in the House this morning, 20 June, in the debate over Tonga’s 2023-2024 Annual Budget. When the Minister of Finance Hon. Tiofilusi Tiueti announced his $784.2 million Budget, on 14 June, he told the House there is a deficit of over $27 million. The budget includes the government’s significantly increased foreign loan repayments. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Results for Pacific Islands
Tuesday 20 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Monday 19 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra begins a week-long tour on Tongatapu from today, 19 June, on its first ever visit. Two Tongans in the orchestra, conducting Fellows Anne Filimoehala and Sam Uatahausi, who are training as conductors with the NZSO, will be presenters during the tour.

Monday 19 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Development of trade in fresh watermelons from Tonga to New Zealand is being supported by the Tonga Watermelon Export Taskforce (TWET) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) program, through training and skills development conducted in June on Tongatapu.

Monday 19 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority Mr. Michael Lodge is in Nuku’alofa.

Saturday 17 June 2023
Apia, Samoa
KlickEx Pacific and SPBD have announced a partnership to enable more Samoans abroad to send money home from New Zealand and Australia. The new money transfer service will commence on July 1, 2023, and will provide an online portal for money transfers from abroad.
Friday 16 June 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
SPBD Microfinance, the leading microfinance network dedicated to empowering women microentrepreneurs across the South Pacific, proudly announces a significant milestone in its journey. The organization has disbursed a total of USD $250 million in loans since its inception in 2000, evidence of its commitment to fostering economic development in the region.
Friday 16 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Law enforcement officials across four Pacific Islands from Tonga, Palau, Papua New Guinea to Samoa participated in a multi-agency tabletop exercise to strengthen national and regional cooperation.

Tuesday 13 June 2023
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Wellington, New Zealand
A barrister of Tongan-Irish descent, Tania Margaret Sharkey, has been appointed a District Court Judge in New Zealand.

Tuesday 13 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The first steel piles have been installed for the Queen Salote International Wharf 2 extension, taking shape in Nuku'alofa, in a multi-million re-development project scheduled for completion in 2025.

Sunday 11 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Following the opening of the 2022-2023 session of the Tonga Legislative Assemby on 1 June 2023, members of parliament are still waiting for the release of the 2021-2022 Annual Reports of seven government Ministries and entities. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

Sunday 11 June 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongatapu's Royal Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism and Trade Show enjoyed sunshine, on Saturday June 10, after a few days of rain had muddied the Manamo’ui Showgrounds. King Tupou VI presented the awards for the best in each category.
Friday 9 June 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongatapu Royal Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism & Trade Show 2023 (RAFTT) will be held tomorrow, Saturday, 10 June. The Chinese agriculture experts team, the Chinese companies in Tonga and some other Chinese businessmen will display their products at the Show. This will be a good opportunity to see some of the outcomes of the fruitful cooperation between China and Tonga in agriculture, fisheries and trade, and to think and plan how we can expand the mutually beneficial cooperation to more fields for common development. - By H.E. Cao Xiaolin, Chinese Ambassador to Tonga
Tuesday 6 June 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Soil samples taken after the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai volcanic eruption and tsunamis showed that seawater had directly impacted soil salinity and crop growth in the Kanokupolu area on western Tongatapu and by September 2022 the salt had moved down to the subsoil. Local soil scientist, Dr. Halavatau told researchers that the impact on the soil remained a concern due to the salt changing its structural stability.

Tuesday 6 June 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A newly upgraded Pacific Islands Pest List Database (PLD) was introduced at a regional workshop in Fiji, attended by Tonga’s Head of Quarantine and Quality Management Division, from 29 May to 2 June. The PLD has a record of more than 26,000 pest occurrences, but Tonga's input needs updating, Siutoni Tupou said.
Tuesday 6 June 2023
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Seoul, South Korea
Digital literacy and skills development is important for all Tongans, Hon Dr. Viliami Uasike Latu told a Digital Ministerial Conference in Seoul, South Korea.on 31 May.

Tuesday 6 June 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A two day educational webinar for World Ocean Day will be hosted tomorrow 7 June and on 9 June by Marine Studies, at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji
Tuesday 30 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A team of surgeons from Interplast Australia and New Zealand is currently performing general plastic and reconstructive surgical services at Vaiola Hospital. The team has returned after three years of border closures.

Tuesday 30 May 2023
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Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to Tonga following the death of HRH Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili in Auckland.

Sunday 28 May 2023
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Auckland, New Zealand
Princess Mele Siu‘ilikutapu, a cousin of King Tupou VI, has passed away at the age of 75 years. Born in 1948, the Princess was the second of ten grandchildren of the late Queen Salote Tupou III.

Friday 26 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku expressed concern about the stalled progress in achieving the Sendai outcomes by Pacific Island Countries, in a High-Level Meeting on the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (HLM) in New York last week.
