Results for Tonga Government

A five year long civil suit against Tongasat (Friendly Islands Satellite Communications) came to a close on Monday 24 September when the Tonga Supreme Court read out nine declarations, stating that the Tonga Government made unlawful payments of over USD $45 million to Tongasat in 2008 and 2011.

The Government of Tonga is dismissing accusations by a prominent Australian newspaper that China’s foreign aid is hurting Tonga’s economy. The news article claimed that many Tongans believe that they have been "sold out by the Tongan Government”.

The Tonga government's signing of the PACER Plus Trade Agreement is not valid as it was not presented to the King for approval, the Acting Attorney General, ‘Aminiasi Kefu said today, amid a growing row over government's apparent failure to follow proper protocols.

Cabinet has approved the funding of the live broadcast of the Tonga vs Wales rugby match tomorrow, June 16.

Tonga's government is embarking on a reform program "to change people’s mind-sets", the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva told a Press Conference that he called on March 29 at the Fa‘onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa. He also said that government is preparing a bill that will allow district and town officers to appropriate "deserted" properties and clear them for community use.

A ban on selling bread on Sundays will be enforced tomorrow, July 3. The ban, which was pushed for by church leaders and supported by members of parliament, re-enforces one of Tonga’s oldest laws, which forbids commercial undertakings on the Sabbath. However, owners of Tonga’s two biggest bakeries told Matangi Tonga Online that the ban would likely result in job losses because bakeries have been trading on Sunday for over 30 years.

Tonga has received a $3 million grant and a $3 million loan approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen long-term economic growth and to have the capacity to respond to external economic shocks such as those caused by natural disasters.

Tonga will receive AUD$4 million in Budget Support, helping to prop up government salaries and other expenses, for each financial year over the next three years, from the Australian Government.

Tonga’s Chief Justice has quashed a decision by the Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Poasi Tei, to end the terms of two directors of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission who had refused to resign from the board voluntarily. The Supreme Court’s ruling also exposed a failure of the government in “a duty of candour” to disclose all relevant facts and the content of its decision making process.