Results for Economy and Trade

Tongan communities realise they need new skills and more income. - Matangi Tonga, Vol. 18, No. 3

“It seems that the state of our economy is starting to look up, the result of efforts that we have made in the past”.- King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.

There is increasing interest in the state of the economy: in particular the fall in the level of the Pa‘anga, the high level of inflation, and the economic reform programme. I intend to link these issues and to explain the economic and developmental factors behind them. In an educated, open society like Tonga’s, it is important that as many people as possible understand these important issues so that they can make informed contributions to the debate. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 1, March 2003.

The assessment by the International Monetary Fund of the Tongan macro-economy during the 2001-2002 fiscal year, highlighted their grave concern over the stagnating state of the economy, the depletion of the official reserves, the marked depreciation of the Pa‘anga, mounting public indebtedness, and the rapid increase in the inflation rate.. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 1, March 2003.

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.

Tens of millions of pa‘anga in government expenditure that used to be disregarded in the annual Budget estimates, have this year been incorporated into the figures—beefing it up to $112 million in operational costs. This is a new approach by a new Finance Minister, Siosiua ‘Utoikamanu, to make government operations more “transparent”. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 2, August 2002.

The Informal sector of the Tongan business community is the biggest enemy of the struggling Tongan economy, believes the Vava’u no. 1 People’s Representative, Trevor Guttenbeil. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 2, August 2002.

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.

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.