The government faces criticisms after commemorating the completion of its new housing project for Pacific leaders meeting while survivors of Hungas’ tsunami were still waiting for their new homes.
Several dozen tsunami survivors on Tonga’s outer islands of Nomuka and Fonoifua are still living in temporary shelters almost three years after the devastating January 2022 tsunami washed away their homes.
A plan to build nearly 50 permanent houses for the islands has crept behind several deadlines.
The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano’s catastrophic eruption triggered tsunami waves as high as 15 meters, hitting Tongatapu, Eua, and Ha’apai. Significant damage occurred in Ha’apai’s island of Tungua, and two minor injuries were reported there. Two people died from the tsunami, one on Nomuka Island and the other on Mango.
We have previously reported a number of problems with the recovery housing projects for tsunami survivors on Nomuka Island including ‘Atatā Si’i. In the Nomuka report, we said that unfinished houses and abandoned construction materials were left scattered in open areas on the island, which raised concerns about wasted, costly materials that may never be used for their intended purpose.
Our report came after the Ministry of Infrastructure announced the beginning of the building of houses for the Nomuka tsunami survivors in September 2023.
Housing project for Pacific Leaders
The government swiftly constructed about 150 prefab houses in different locations on Tonga’s Tongatapu main island to accommodate about 1000 guests who joined the meeting in Nuku’alofa this week. The construction began in May of this year and was completed last week, in just three months. The action stands in stark contrast to the delayed housing projects for the tsunami survivors.
In its report on July 26, the Ministry of Infrastructure attributed the success of the housing projects for the Pacific Forum meeting to their ability to swiftly adapt and anticipate challenges, likening it to the Tongan idiom “lele ‘i matangi” (running before the wind).
It said that it was building 16 new prefab houses at Vaha’akolo Road, 40 at Kausela Road, Kolofo’ou, 60 at Pātangata and 30 at Sopu.
The houses at Pātangata were officially launched on Saturday, 17 August by HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala who unveiled a plaque, revealing the name for the project as Niu Lodge.
The swift address of the urgent housing needs for the Pacific Leaders, while some of the housing for tsunami survivors remained unresolved for years, has raised questions about the government’s priorities.
Grassroot level needs
Samuela Akilisi Pohiva Jr, the son of former Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva, has publicly criticized the government leaders for what he described as disregard for the diligent citizens who contribute taxes to fund governmental expenses.
He said that the government’s handling of the two housing projects using different care approaches demonstrated how Tongan society is hierarchically classified.
Pōhiva said in Tongan, “The leaders were always slow to address the needs of people at the grassroots level whose duty was to pay the taxes and fund most of the government budgets.
“On the other hand, they were very quick to address any needs of the aristocracy and the rich”.
Completed housing projects
Last month, the government and residents of Tungua island celebrated the handover of keys to 17 new houses under the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Recovery Project.
In its update on April 30, 2024, the Ministry of Infrastructure said 17 new houses were being built at Atatā Si‘i for the tsunami survivors.
That comes on top of new houses built for twenty-two displaced families from the same island in December 2023.
A new town Hall for the village was under construction and the survivors were still using tents for their Sunday church services
In its most recent update on July 31, the Ministry reported that the 14 houses currently under construction for the Mango tsunami survivors at Tā’anga, ‘Eua, are still incomplete. Some houses have yet to have walls erected, it said.
Lack of transparency
The government’s handling of the housing project for the tsunami survivors had been marred by politics and lack of transparency.
As Kaniva News reported, the MP for Atatā, Dr ‘Aisake Eke, previously accused the Minister of Infrastructure and his staff of failing to give the public correct information about the tsunami construction works.
Dr Eke’s claim came in the wake of the relocation of the ‘Atatā tsunami victims from a hall at Kolomotu’a to the newly created village of ‘Atatā Si’i towards the end of last year, more than a year after the tsunami struck.
We reported that the survivors were told to move into tents at Atatā Si’i just as the cyclone season began.
They do not have bathrooms and toilets. They were told by the government to share the ‘Atatā Si’i’s residents’ bathrooms and toilets.
Following our report, the Ministry said on its Facebook page this week that it had shown (“fakanofonofo”) the victims who had been living in the hall at Kolomotu’a their new homes at ‘Atatā Si’i. However, it did not say that these people were living in tents, and they were told to share toilets and bathrooms with people who first settled at ‘Atatā Si’i.
It also said the Ministry of Lands and Survey, together with the estate holder’s agent, were still working on land for the recently relocated victims, implying there would be no construction on these lands until the Ministry finalised the question of ownership of the land.
Dr Eke said the tsunami reconstruction was slow because local construction contractors were disappointed with the Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. Sevenitiini Toumo’ua.
He said the contractors were unhappy after Hon. Toumo’ua fixed the contract for each new house at what was claimed to be an undervalued price.
He said these contractors submitted a petition to the Parliament before a Parliamentary committee was selected to work on it. The Select Committee members included Dr Eke, Hon. Toumo’ua, MP Tevita Puloka and MP Lord Tu’ivakanō.
Dr Eke said Hon. Toumo’ua was uncooperative and failed to provide important information from his Ministry to the committee.
He said the Minister refused to provide the Ministry’s bill of quantity so that the Committee could compare it with the contractors’ costs and estimate.
Dr Eke said the Ministry should have reimbursed the companies.
“The Ministry, especially the Minister, had been underperforming (“ta’efakafiemālie”) in handling the tsunami construction project”, Dr Eke said.
“The information they released to the public was not reliable.
He said the construction should have been conducted without delays.
“There was enough fund donated by from overseas donors for the construction and there is TP$95 million of government’s cash reserve funds”, he told Kaniva News.
“There are funds for other various projects that could be postponed and redirected them for the housing construction.
“There is enough money, but the construction works are slow for various reasons”.
Kaniva News contacted the Ministry of Infrastructure for comment.
