Results for Economy and Trade

Tonga's Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon Lisiate 'Akolo was appointed by Trade Ministers from Pacific members countries of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP as their Spokesperson in their continuing negotiation, for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

While the domestic economy shows signs of recovery, the outlook looks weak, according to the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.

A house fire caused by a candle razed a home situated beside the Janfull International Dateline Hotel at around 4:00 am this morning, March 10. Fortunately, the occupants including a mother and her one-year-old baby escaped without injuries.

The Tongan government has reduced its expenditure by 11% because of a 28% shortfall in revenue collection during the current financial year, Tonga's Minister of Finance, Hon. Afu'alo Matoto told representatives of Tonga's Development Partners at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre this morning, March 8.

Tonga's official foreign reserves for December 2009 reached $160.4 million, which was half a million pa'anga more than the November figure of $159.9 million.

The Tongan economy's only hope of surviving the global financial crisis is to be able to adapt and to exploit global economic changes, Tonga's Minister of Finance, Hon. Afu'alo Matoto said in his opening address of the "Tonga Update 2009" at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre, Nuku'alofa on Friday November 20.

Tonga's electricity tariff will go up by 20.35 seniti per kWh, effective from the meter reading at the end of October, Peter McGill, the CEO of the Tonga Power Ltd. announced this afternoon.

The Governor of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, Mrs Siosi Cocker Mafi, stated that at its meeting on 28 July 2009 the Reserve Bank Board noted that economic activity continued to slow down due to the impact of the global financial crises and contributing to this slow down is the decline in domestic credit growth. Domestic banks are tightening their lending criteria due to high non performing loans.

Economic growth of 1.7% for Tonga is the aim of the government's $225.4 million pa'anga budget for 2009-10, the Minister of Finance, Hon. Afu'alo Matoto told the Tongan Parliament on Monday, June 8.