Tonga’s public debt at the end of the current 2017 fiscal year is estimated to be equivalent to half of our Gross Domestic Product GDP (about TOP$444.7m), according to an updated version of the Asian Development Outlook ADO 2017, published by the Asian Development Bank at the end of September.
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Results for Economy and Trade
Monday 2 October 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Friday 4 August 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A new customs duty and excise tax introduced last year has driven import prices up causing inflation to hit significantly high levels in Tonga. Annual inflation rose by 10% over the year to May 2017 - well above the National Reserve Bank of Tonga's reference rate of 5%.

Wednesday 12 July 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga became a prospective member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in June.

Friday 16 June 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
An inspection shed for handicrafts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forest, Fisheries and PHAMA program was opened on Friday, June 16 to support people involved in the industry and increase exports.

Thursday 8 June 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongan handicrafts were showcased by local artists to Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku’aho on Thursday, June 8 at a True Tonga Inc. meeting held at the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel.

Sunday 7 May 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga needs to act fast in creating a plan to take advantage of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations PACER Plus, between 12 Pacific Island Countries, plus Australia and New Zealand, said ‘Anisi Kulu Bloomfield, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Trade.

Tuesday 2 May 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The World Bank’s Board of Executive directors on April 27 approved US$5 Million to support Tonga’s Second Inclusive Growth Development Policy Operation.

Friday 21 April 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Two key challenges that the Tongan government faces now are to manage carefully its wages bill and also its financing of the 2019 South Pacific Games related constructions. The World Bank also believes that Tonga should undergo an economic reform to shore up its revenue, “contain unproductive spending while boosting critical expenditures on health and education, and build up buffers against shocks.”

Wednesday 12 April 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga faces a growing need to restrain public wage growth to decrease the share of wages in current spending, advises the Asian Development Bank’s Asian Development Outlook 2017.

Friday 31 March 2017
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a preliminary statement this week that Tonga’s “economic activity is expanding and likely to remain relatively strong into the next couple of years”. However, the IMF found that there was a lack of recent statistical information available such as government finance, inflation, balance of payments, and national accounts data for their assessment of economic development.
Thursday 26 January 2017
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) or action plan to deliver financial services at affordable costs to Tongans is being developed by the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) and the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT) for the first time.

Monday 12 December 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Economic forecasts show that while the Tongan economy is expected to grow by 3.1 % in the current financial year up to 30 June 2017, it will not maintain that growth rate.

Sunday 30 October 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Asian Development Bank will increase its financial commitment to the Pacific Region in the coming years, said its Executive Director, Ms Swati Dandekar who visited Tonga with six Executive Directors from 25-29 October, on the 50th Anniversary of the ADB.

Thursday 27 October 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga has decided to adopt daylight saving and will advance its clock one hour ahead on Sunday, November 6 for two-months, in order to allow more daylight hours in the evening during the longer summer days. The change will put Tonga 14 hours ahead of UTC during the summer.

Tuesday 26 July 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga and China are discussing trade, but there’s stiff competition to sell products in China. “You have to promote how good your products are,” a Chinese trade official Mr Jiang Shan told Tongan Journalists at China’s Ministry of Commerce in Beijing in June. By Finau Fonua
Thursday 23 June 2016
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In its latest state of the economy report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Tonga to improve its debt management, make broader reforms to increase revenue, and to effectively manage public spending. In the IMF's 2016 Article IV report released this week, Tonga was also encouraged to continue to seek concessional and grant financing for the South Pacific Games, while the report welcomed Tonga's efforts in curbing the wage bill and avoiding cost overruns. It urged Tonga to provide more opportunities for private sector development.

Friday 3 June 2016
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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.

Wednesday 1 June 2016
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Tonga’s bankers, who fought to stop the imposition of a new Foreign Exchange Levy that came into effect today June 1, say the legislation is poorly drafted and imposes an unfair tax on the financial sector, which will be passed on to the community – particularly affecting remittances.

Thursday 12 May 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Half a seniti of "the bank's spread" of every pa'anga that is bought and sold through Tonga's foreign exchange services will be charged, starting 1 June 2016, after a foreign exchange levy was endorsed by Tonga’s government to help fund the 2019 Pacific Games. [updated]

Tuesday 29 March 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Japan yesterday agreed to commit $3.6 million pa'anga to Tonga to purchase goods, which may include sports equipment, to help promote economic and social development efforts.
