NUKU’ALOFA, TONGA – Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister, Taniela Fusimālohi, has raised concerns over mounting financial pressures for the Pacific Games 2031, revealing that unforeseen costs, initially overlooked, now threaten critical renovations.
It follows critics arguing that Tonga shouldn’t have hosted the Games, given its donor-dependent budget and remittance-reliant economy.
According to Parliamentary Hansard number 20 of June 2025, Fusimalohi said in Tongan, “Time passed, and unforeseen costs emerged—costs that had never been considered initially.”
He confirmed a levy is being collected to bolster the recurrent budget but admitted uncertainty over securing the full $36 million needed for upgrades. “This cost being talked about, $36 million, no one knows whether the government will secure it for the renovation,” he added.
The official Tongan transcript of Deputy PM Fusimālohi’s parliamentary remarks is reproduced verbatim below:
“‘A ia ko e ‘uhinga foki ia ‘e Sea he koe’uhí ‘e ‘alu atu pē e taimi mo e hā hā mai ‘a e ngaahi fakamole ia na’e ‘ikai ke fai ha fakakaukau ki ai ‘i he kamata’anga. Pea ko ‘eni ‘i he tu’unga ko ‘eni ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e levy ‘oku tānaki ‘oku liliu foki ia ‘o ‘alu ia ki he recurrent, pea ko e ‘uhinga ia ko ē ‘a e ngaahi fakamalanga ‘i he kuohili, ko e financial outlay ko ē ki he sipoti ko e me’a ia ke fai ‘i he ‘aho ni. Ko e cost ko ‘eni ‘oku talanoa ki ai ‘a e 36 miliona hei’ilo pē ‘e ma’u ia ‘e he Pule’angá ke fai’aki ‘a e renovation.”
The English version of Fusimālohi’s statement has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
The remarks follow Sports Minister Sinaitaka Tu’itahi’s disclosure in Parliament the same day that the government is actively seeking $26 million to upgrade sports facilities ahead of the Games.
The Minister stated that she was exploring donor funding options while partially relying on the levy revenues.
An estimate from the Tonga Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC) outlines potential earnings from marketing and athlete housing, Minister Tu’itahi said.
Games Benefit Doubts
However, Fusimālohi pushed back, revealing that TASANOC intended to redirect local sports levy funds to finance the Pacific Games during its next six-year preparation, raising doubts about national benefits.
Fusimālohi stated that TASANOC has not yet explained the economic benefits Tonga will receive from the Pacific Games.
As Kaniva News reported last week, Prime Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke reaffirmed his government’s commitment to hosting the event, originally secured under former PM Hu’akavameiliku’s administration.
“We fully support Tonga’s role as host, as that was part of our development,” he told lawmakers, though questions linger over funding shortfalls.
Levy Benefits Local Sports
The sports levy was originally initiated by ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s administration in 2017 to fund the 2019 Pacific Games, before Pohiva later revoked Tonga’s hosting rights.
However, the levy was retained to fund local sports and continued by successive administrations.
A delegation from Fiji and the Pacific Games Council recently visited Tonga to assess preparations, with officials expecting a formal update on the kingdom’s hosting status and financial plans by October.
The financial challenge is compounded by Tonga’s heavy reliance on foreign aid, a dependency that forced the country to withdraw from hosting the 2019 Pacific Games in 2017.
At the time, then-Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva expressed concerns about potential misuse of funds, leading to the revocation of the hosting permit.
Secret Deal Backlash
Tonga’s successful bid to host the Pacific Games 2031 surprised many, having been secured through the efforts of former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku without parliamentary approval.
Reports indicate that to appease the Pacific Games Council following Tonga’s withdrawal as the 2019 host, the Hu‘akavameiliku government struck a confidential deal with the Council—a move that angered critics, especially since Tonga was favorably positioned in its legal dispute with the Council at the time.
