The Ministry of Lands is urging Tongans living overseas to use its official communication channels instead of travelling to Tonga for land matters, as staff remain occupied with clearing a large backlog of outdated files and may not have the capacity to serve walk‑in visitors.
As Kaniva News reported this week, around 7,000 files from previous years have accumulated at the Ministry of Lands—many still sitting on desks and never entered into the computer system—creating what the Minister Dr Taniela Fusimālohi had described as a chaotic backlog that continues to overwhelm staff.
Fusimālohi said the Ministry also has more than 3,000 land parcels awaiting survey and measurement.
According to the Minister, staff are now working to organise and digitise thousands of files, enter records into the Ministry’s computer system, and expand personnel and resources to improve turnaround times for all applications.
The Minister said the queues and waiting times remain long and will continue until the backlog is fully cleared and the ongoing improvement work is completed.
He said the overhaul programme is expected to be completed by the end of the next financial year, which falls in June 2027, allowing the Ministry to finally resolve the longstanding backlog.
Dr Fusimālohi said overseas applicants should only travel to Tonga for land matters if they are specifically instructed to do so by the Ministry.
He said overseas residents shouldn’t travel to Tonga for land matters at this time, as staff capacity remains limited and the likelihood of being served promptly is low.
Upcoming Overseas Service Visits
The Ministry also announced upcoming in‑person services for overseas communities.
Two officers will be in Canberra on 27, 28, and 30 March to assist Tongans with their land matters, with further service visits planned for Sydney in early May, Brisbane in July, and Melbourne in September.
Dr Fusimalohi also reminded the public not to send applications or documents directly to individual Ministry staff, noting that doing so does not speed up processing.
All formal submissions should be addressed to the Minister or CEO, registered through the Secretariat, and then assigned to staff officially.
He added that only correspondence issued by the CEO, the Minister, or an authorised head of division is recognised as official government communication.
The Minister further confirmed that Tonga’s diplomatic missions in Australia, the United States, and the High Commission in Auckland will be used to assist overseas Tongans with submitting their documents in the future.
