When the Tonga Trust fund was established by in 1988 its purpose was as a kind of safety net for Tonga to accumulate moneys to be held in trust as a foreign reserve fund for the Kingdom to use in exceptional circumstances, and for future major development projects. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The tragedy in America and the possibility of a long drawn out war between the USA and an enemy, which had yet to be clearly identified, could have a negative impact on the Tongan economy, said Tonga’s Minister of Finance, and the Governor of Tonga National Reserve Bank, Hon. Siosiua ‘Otuikamanu. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Rising unemployment is the major concern of the Tonga government at the moment, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. Siosiua ‘Otuikamanu told a Media Workshop on Economic and Financial reporting in September. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Matangi Tonga interviewed Tonga Trust Fund trustee Hon. Tevita Tupou, (Minister of Law and Attorney General) and Jesse Dean Bogdonoff, the fund’s technical advisor, on September 26. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
On September 25 in the Tongan Legislature, the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Tevita Tupou, elaborated a new scheme for recovering the Tonga Trust Fund. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Tuesday 25 September 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The Tonga Trust Fund was created with the Tonga Trust Fund Act on 3 November 1988. At that time there was US$33 million in the account of the TTF with the Bank of America at 2.7% to 3% interest. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 2, September 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
"I have never understood what too advanced means," says Crown Prince Tupouto'a, who believes that wireless telephones and a fibre optic internet connection will provide liberation for the common man greater than that originally given him by the automobile. He says that governments all over the world will have to downsize and become much smarter at collecting their revenue... and tax people when they spend and not when they earn. Interview: HRH Crown Prince Tupouto‘a. By Pesi Fonua. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The Tongan economy is expected to remain sluggish during the next financial year 2001/02. The Budget statement of Tonga’s new Minister of Finance, Hon. Sosiua ‘Utoikamanu, presented to parliament on June 5 said there would be no significant economic growth during the new financial year. Instead there will be a slight drop in the growth of GDP, from 4.4% in real terms last year to 3.2% in the new financial year. The Inflation rate is expected to remain at the current peak 8%, after slowly rising from 4.2% in February 2000 and 7.1% in December 2000. These are the highest levels since the early 1990s. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The restructuring of Tonga’s telecommunications will be completed in July 2001 with the establishment of the new Department of Communications. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The importation of consumer goods remains a profitable business in Tonga with stiff competition for a share of a market that has risen from over $115 million worth of imported consumer goods in 2000 to over $121 million in 2001. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
A third television station for Tongatapu, the Doulos Broadcasting Network, DBN was commissioned by King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV on May 2. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Thousands of people are waiting for telephones in Nuku‘alofa and to get them all on line quickly means for the most part going wireless, and putting in some high tech cables for a small area of the Nuku‘alofa business centre. By Pesi Fonua. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The Millennium wake-up call for Tonga came at the end of 1999 when Crown Prince Tupouto'a announced that he was bidding for a licence to provide a second telephone carrier, and that he was going to introduce wireless technology where, "the customer should be able to buy a computer, plug it in, pull out an aerial and make a phone call. At the same time, he should be able to swipe a card on the computer, establish an account and switch to his favourite TCV channel while he is talking on the phone." A lot of work has been done since then to introduce wireless technology to Tonga, but finally a date has been set for July 2 when the newly formed Tonfön, a trade name owned by Shoreline Communications, will launch its telephone system in Nuku‘alofa. Tonfön also has a fibre optic cable system on the drawing board. Interview with Soane Ramanlal of Tonfön. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A review of the Tongan economy by scholars and economic thinkers at the University of the South Pacific, Tonga campus, on May 29 was a bit like a group of growers assessing the possible yield that they could expect to get from what they perceived to be a well-cultivated plantation. However, their findings also revealed a mixed bag of economic abnormalities. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The $3 million pa‘anga Shopping Centre development on Nuku‘alofa’s Taufa‘ahau Road is a dream come true for Tongan businessman, Tevita Misa Fifita. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
While some people welcome the open-policy approach of the Tonga government which is allowing in a second telephone carrier, and inviting applications for more Internet Service Providers, there are mixed feelings from the private sector. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
The excitement over the development of Tonga’s telecommunications is related to three important decisions that were made by government before the turn of the century. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
A second Internet Service Provider for Tonga, Kaivai, has yet to go into operation. A licence was issued last year for the new ISP following an invitation from government for applications for licences. It was part of government’s open policy on licences for operators in the mass media, television and FM radio stations, and Internet Service Providers. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
If by July Tonga has not repealed its 1984 Off-Shore Banking Act, the 29 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will endorse a ‘Defensive Action’ against Tonga and six other Pacific island countries. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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Saturday 30 June 2001
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
We are used to seeing people queuing up to get money from the bank, and pushing themselves in to buy a loaf of bread from the bakery, but now customers are fighting to buy bricks to build their houses. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.
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