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The Nesian Mystik’s debut album ‘Polysaturated’ went double platinum in New Zealand alone, with sales of over 30,000 CDs, an achievement Tongan band member Donald McNulty attributes to the band’s teamwork and perseverance. “We’ve been together since 3rd Form—we hung around the music room all the time, just jamming”. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 1, March 2003.

Five long-line fishing boats will join Tonga’s fleet of 27 long-line boats in early 2003. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 1, March 2003.

Named Man of the Match in a rugby league test between Tonga’s Mate Ma‘a Tonga and the NSW Universities, was Paula Fukofuka (28), a promising young Tongan full-back. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

Is Tonga ready to become a member of the World Trade Organisation? The Tongan Minister responsible for Trade, Hon. Dr Masaso Paunga, is confident that Tonga has done all the right things by signing the appropriate international conventions, and free trade agreements, and that Tonga is now ready to become a member of the WTO sometime next year. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

A sudden surge in the development of the Tonga’s fishing industry saw 48 fishing boats registered to fish in Tongan waters by July 2002. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

If money talks, then what professional sports people are saying these days is that soccer will replace rugby as Tonga’s national sport in the near future. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

The current economic reform, in preparation for when Tonga becomes a member of the World Trade Organisation, and the hype that this could pull the economy out from its state of stagnation, is the wishful thinking of many people. But the big question remains: are we ready to exploit our WTO membership, or is it going to be just like the other Free Trade Agreements we have signed with other countries, where it will enable us to import more from our partners but export less? From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

Tonga’s membership with the WTO is seen as a bench-mark for the success of the government’s Economic Reform Program, that was officially launched in April this year. This economic reform is aimed at energising Tongan industries, offering more employment opportunities, and producing quality products to compete in the world market. Paula Kautoke said that the principle of WTO is for countries to exploit their advantages. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

The government’s current Economic and Public Sector Reform program, is a futile exercise, believes Dr Feleti Sevele, the Tongatapu no. 2 People’s Representative, in the Tongan Legislature. He says it won’t work until government learns to interact with the productive members of the community. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.