Results for Development

The increasing number of pot-holes, mud pools, and the collapsing verges on Tonga's public roads will not be all fixed this year, and it is now clear that the road network will continue to deteriorate until late in 2007.

Tonga is seeking funds from the European Union to rehabilitate earthquake-damaged infrastructure in Ha‘apai and other regions, utilising an EU emergency allocation; and has also changed the focus of its remaining EU development assistance for the outer islands.

An Urban and a Rural Area Plan for the whole of Tonga is currently being drafted by a three-member team from Global Works International Project Development.

In a last minute change of plans, Pangai Si'i, the home for thousands of striking Civil Servants during the past month, has been declared by Tonga's Royal family as the new site for a Tongan National Museum that was originally to be built at Raintree Square with assistance from France.

An assessment of Hardship and Poverty in Tonga, which was carried out jointly by the Government of Tonga and the Asian Development Bank in 2003, stated that 23% of the 16 communities surveyed in Tongatapu, Ha'apai, Vava'u, 'Eua, Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou, were living below the poverty line of $28.18 per person per week.

The saying that when the going gets tough, the tough keep going, is very true with the Nuku‘alofa business community. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 3, December 2003.

The Hon. Marian Hobbs, the New Zealand Minister for the Environment and the Associate Minister of Education, said in Nuku‘alofa in early October that Tonga and New Zealand had one common problem, a lack of trades-people. 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.

New Zealand signed its annual multi-million dollar bilateral aid agreement with Tonga in July, a package worth NZ$5.6 million, the same amount allocated the previous year. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 2, August 2002.