The outgoing Prime Minister, Hon Hu’akavameiliku, denied that his government had received more than “a billion-dollar loan” from China and the ADB.
He was responding after Lawyer Nalesoni Tupou blasted his terms in government labelling Hu‘akavameiliku’s leadership as performing poorly.
Mr Tupou claimed the Hu’akavameiliku administration owed US$380 to China and US$120 million to the ADB.
He converted the total US$500 into Tongan pa’anga as over TOP$1 billion.
Mr Tupou used the term “mo’ua”, meaning debts or money owed to lenders, to describe the debts in Tongan.
It was unclear whether he was referring to the previous government’s existing debts, for which the outgoing government was responsible for payment, or if he was specifically indicating that these were new loans taken on by the Hu’akavameiliku government.
He advocated appointing a new Prime Minister with financial and governmental affairs expertise.
He alleged that Hon Hu’akavameiliku had stepped down because he knew he was no longer fit for the job.
Mr Tupou said Hu‘akavameiliku’s resignation was justified because of all these.
However, Hon Hu‘akavameiliku said in Tongan that he wanted to enlighten the lawyer.
He said: “Ne teeki no e Puleanga neu kau ai mei adb pe Siaina he tau 3 mau Puleanga ai”, saying his government did not secure loans from China and the ADB while he was the leader in the last three years.
He said Mr Tupou was referring to loans made by previous governments, and his government was only paying them back.
The Chnina loan balance was TOP$197.2 million, and the payments so far have brought it down to TOP$157 million or US$75 million, while the balance of the ADB loan was TOP$49 million or US$23, the Prime Minister said.
Hon Hu’akavameiliku blasted Mr Tupou and told him to stop what he had described as misleading the public.
