Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva met with officials and staff of his three Ministries on Monday at the Fā’onelua Convention Centre.
Hon. Pōhiva reiterated the importance of mindset to be changed in order to facilitate his government reform process.
He urged his single women staff to look for a husband as a matter of priority in the new year.
He told Kaniva news previously, “Changing government is the easy part, changing mindset is the hardest.”
He believed Tonga was far way behind of other developed countries and the main reason was the speed of how the kingdom was adapting to necessary changes required to allow economic and social developments yielded successful results.
Hon Pōhiva said his government has regularly conducted cleaning up campaigns and the public were urged to keep places clean and beautiful.
“I strongy believed if things like the environment were in order it could greatly help people’s attitude and mindset changed better,” he said.
He said he was happy with what had been achieved so far in the reform process.
“I look forward to working together with all of you to implement the Government’s plans for reform in 2019. The Government had spent money on scholarships to send you overseas for tertiary education so that you can come home and carry out the work of Government. But I have found that some returning scholars are not prepared to carry out the reforms that had been set in place. For me it’s a ‘mindset’ problem and I am glad that the Public Service Commission is addressing this problem through in-house training for civil servants,” Hon Pōhiva said.
During morning tea the Hon Prime Minister also asked his staff not to believe rumours on social media that he was trying to undermine or revoke His Majesty’s Royal Prerogatives.
Hon. Pōhiva noticed there was a number of single women working in his office.
“I have come to realize that there are a lot of well-educated but unmarried women in senior positions in the Prime Minister’s Office, PSC and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. I urge you all, ‘Please look for a husband in 2019 as a matter of priority!’”
Former Police Commander Sinilau Kolokihakaufisi was at the meeting and the Prime Minister’s office said he was one of the Commissioners of the Public Service Commission.
