New sidewalks, road and public facilities upgrades and pre-paid parking are the main focus of a multi-million dollar projects to improve central Nuku’alofa.
The projects have been given a $14 million head start for the constructions of sidewalks which connected Kolomotu’a and Fasimoeafi.
The projects included upgrades to the Queen Salote Memorial hall, Nuku’alofa Primary School, Mala’ekula Royal Tomb, the Sports Complex and areas between Vuna and ‘Amelika wharves.
New public toilets, bus stations and bus stops
were parts of the improvement plans.
An upgrade to the Tonga Maritime Poly-Technical Institute buildings and facilities was part of the plans.
A new sweeper was expected to arrive in Tonga
soon as part of the government’s attempts to keep Nuku’alofa clean.
This was part of the Prime Minister’s vision to upgrade infrastructure and public facilities, the Deputy Prime Minister Hon Semisi Sika told Kaniva news.
He said the Vuna road upgrades were funded by the government through its Ministry of Infrastructure and Tourism’s budgets.
Some of these projects were expected to be funded by foreign donors, he said.
Agricultural
exports doubled in April, according to the latest report from the Reserve Bank
of Tonga.
The bank
said 642.3 tonnes of produce was exported, driven by an increase
in the sale of root crops such a yam, taro and cassava.
The Governor of the Reserve Bank, Sione Ngongo Kioa, said exports of fish had almost tripled compared with the same period last year.
New data for
the fisheries sector showed that exports of fish since the beginning of 2019
averaged 188 metric tons per month compared with an average of 67.2 metric tons
per month in 2018.
Nearly all
the exported fish were tuna, which accounted for 96.6% of the total 164.0
metric tons exported in April.
The export
of aquarium products also rose by 94.7% over the month. Receipts from exports
of fish and other marine products also grew by 3.6% over the same month.
Kioa said a
drop in loan to the industry may indicate that activity in the secondary sector
had slowed.
Loans to the
construction and manufacturing sectors declined by 5.7% and 15.3% respectively.
However,
container registrations rose by 7.7%, largely due to an increased volume of
business containers reflecting active commercial trading.
International
air arrivals also rose by 23.7% and the arrival of two cruise ships during the
month may have supported the tourism sector.
Travel
receipts also recorded a 1.9% increase, whereas receipts for other trades in
services also increased by 19.2%, mostly transport and construction services.
Tonga’s
economic growth prospects remained positive in the medium term, but weather
uncertainty posed a risk.
Official
foreign reserves slightly declined by $0.8 million to $464.2 million during
April. The monthly movement was attributed mainly to repatriation of unspent
project funds and net outflow from interbank foreign exchange deals.
The annual
headline inflation slowed further to 0.2% in April
Foreign
reserves were projected to remain at a comfortable level and inflation was
likely to remain below the reference rate of 5% per annum. The banking system
was anticipated to continue to remain sound.
The
main points
Agricultural
exports doubled in April, according to the latest report from the Reserve Bank
of Tonga.
The
bank said 642.3 tonnes of produce was exported, consisting of an driven by an
increase in the sale of root crops such a yam, taro and cassava.
After a day of cold and rain, Mate Ma’a Tonga went down 14-34 against New Zealand Kiwi this evening.
The Kiwis
were leading 16-4 at half time.
Brandon
Smith scored the first try of the evening for the Kiwi in the 11th
minute.
Shaun
Johnson scored three tries for New Zealand Kiwis, with Brandon Smith, Jahrome
Hughes and Joseph Manu also going over the line and Esan Marsters making five
successful conversions.
Solomone Kata,
SioSiuaTaukeiaho and Daniel Tupou scored tries for Tonga with Taukeiahoscoring
a conversion.
Commentatorsdescribed SitiliTupouniua and ManaseFainu as the
outstanding players on the Tongan ide.
During his
live coverage of the game, New Zealand
Herald reporter Christopher Reive said: “They should just give the ball to
SitiliTupouniua every play. He’s the only one having any success tonight.”
This
evenings’ game was important for Mate Ma’aTongas’ long term goals.
Mate
Ma’aTonga prop TevitaPangai Jr told the Herald: “We know as a goal, going
into the World Cup we want to be a top three nation,”
“Our
eyes are on the Kiwis, and we’re looking longer term.”
Playing more
matches against top tier teams is the first step for Tonga to make progress in
the standings. The Rugby League International Federation’s ranking system gives
more points for a win over a strong nation than for a victory over a country
with a lower rank.
Tongan team
As we
reported yesterday, the Tongan side was missing Andrew Fifita, who has been suspended
for three matches.
Fifita told
the media before the game he was“absolutely gutted” not to be playing, but said
“I can’t wait to see the red sea this weekend.”
AddinFonua-Blake
was listed to takeFifita’s place in the front ow.
The Mate
Ma’a squad announced for this evening’ game were Will Hopoate, DanielTupou, Kotoni Staggs, Solomone Kata,
David Fusitu’a, John Asiata, TuimoalaLolohea, Siliva Havili, SioSiuaTaukeiaho,
TevitaPangai Junior, Manu Ma’u, Jason Taumalolo,ManaseFainu, AddinFonua-Blake,
PeniTerepo, SitiliTupouniuaandfSioneKatoa and TevitaTatola a reserves.
Asiata, Staggs, Fainu and Tupouniua were making their
debut for Tonga.
Red and white
The run-up
to the game had drawn some concern, with tickets till available only hour
before the match.
This was in
contrast to previous games where the enthusiasm of Tongan fans had been
widespread.
However,
this evening’s number were estimated at 23,624 and Radio New Zealand reported
that cars adorned with Tongan flags had reappeared on the Auckland’s streets.
The national
broadcaster said houses on Rockfield Road, a few blocks from the stadium, were coated
in red and white.
RNZs’ Jamie
Wall concluded his report on the game by describing it as “a fun evening here
at Mt Smart.”
“There’s
still a ton of Tongan fans hanging around waiting for their heroes. It really
shows how important test rugby league is.”
The
main points
After
a day of cold and rain, Mate Ma’a Tonga went down 14-24 against New Zealand
Kiwis this evening.
Solomone
Kata, SioSiuaTaukeiaho and Daniel Tupou scored tries for Tonga with Taukeiahoscoring
a conversion.
First-five Richie Mo’unga grabbed two tries in a flawless 23-point game as the Crusaders stormed into the Super Rugby semi-finals with a 38-14 hiding of the Highlanders in Christchurch.
With a breathtaking blend of defensive grunt and attacking inspiration, the double defending champions kept their perfect home record in playoffs intact and extended their unbeaten winning streak at Rugby League Park to 29 matches.
They will return to the venue to meet the winner of the Hurricanes and the Bulls, who play their quarter-final on Saturday.
“We knew it was going to be tough, quarter-finals are always tough,” Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock said.
“We knew these guys were going to try to pin us down in our own half … We want to pressure every team right across the board.
“To get the win is what you need and we got it.”
All Black Mo’unga had an outstanding night, grabbing a try in each half and slotting all five conversions and an early penalty.
It was a tougher night for his All Blacks team mate Liam Squire, who was yellow carded early in the second half for a shoulder charge after the Highlanders restricted the home side to a 17-14 lead at the break.
It proved the turning point as the Crusaders ran in two tries to blow the game open while Squire was in the sin-bin.
“Obviously we prepared to come up here and give it our best shot and we were in it for most of the game,” said Highlanders co-captain Luke Whitelock.
“They’re very good at what they do and they execute it really well.”
The Crusaders came into the match after a week off and it showed in a scrappy opening quarter as they struggled with a few handling errors and a shaky set-piece.
They allowed the visitors the first try in the 17th minute as centre Rob Thompson made a brilliant step and offload to Ben Smith to crack open the Crusaders defence, with the departing co-captain putting winger Sio Tomkinson across near the left corner.
The home side snatched back the lead, however, with an unmarked David Havili jogging through a huge defensive hole to cross under the posts.
The Highlanders could do little about the Crusaders’ second try, as Scott Robertson’s men launched a breathtaking raid from midfield to the right corner.
A majestic offload by George Bridge to Whetu Douglas was flicked wide to Mo’unga who crossed and converted his own try to put the Crusaders up 17-7 in the 28th minute.
The Highlanders rallied again, rumbling forward to earn a scrum near the try-line.
Halfback Aaron Smith hurled a long, flat pass wide to inside centre Teihorangi Walden who burst through and planted the ball just over the line as the Highlanders kept in touch in a relentless first half.
Five minutes after the restart, however, Squire was sin-binned and the Highlanders unravelled.
A defensive blunder giftwrapped the Crusaders their third try in the 48th minute as the Highlanders stood off a rolling maul and allowed Douglas to barge over.
With Squire still stewing in the sin-bin, replacement prop Michael Alaalatoa grabbed the Crusaders’ fourth five-pointer, with Mo’unga kicking the Crusaders to a 31-14 lead into the final quarter.
Mo’unga capped a fine individual performance by grabbing his second try with brute strength in the 69th minute, rushing forward to chase a kick over the line and ripping the ball off Marty Banks in mid-air before planting it down.
Speculation
is growing that Tonga’s Ombudsman will make an announcement about the three
petitions attacking the government on Monday.
The
Ombudsman has called a press conference for 10am on June 24.
As Kaniva news reported last month, King Tupou VI has referred three petitions attacking the government to the Ombudsman.
The
petitions, demanding the government be dissolved, have been organised by long-standing
opponents of the government.
Professor
Steven Ratuva, Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at
the University of Canterbury in New Zealand told Radio Australia the case was a
litmus test for Tongan democracy.
“The
King still has considerable power despite the reforms in the Constitution in
2010,” he said.
“Recently the Government has been trying to push what it
refers to as ‘urgent’ bills’ to be passed by parliament.
“At least
two of those bills refer directly to reforming the power of the King in terms
of appointment of some of the senior officers of Government including the
Commissioner of Police.”
Professor
Ratuva said the petitioners were using this to convince the King that his power
was under threat.
In August November 2017 the Speaker persuaded the king to dissolve Parliament and put the government of ‘Akilisi Pohiva out of office.
However,
only a few months later, Hon.Pohiva’s government was voted back into power.
In June last year, a petition to impeach the Prime Minister and seven of his cabinet ministers was submitted to parliament.
Three
petitions with more than 10,000 signatures were presented to the palace in
Nuku’alofa.
Former government minister Clive Edwards presented a petition signed by former politicians.
He said he believed that once a Royal Commission for Investigation was appointed, a caretaker government would need to be put in place.
Noble MP Lord Nuku presented a petition from the country’s nobles.
The third petition was presented by former MP Teisina Fuko from members of the general public.
The Lord Privy Seal said the Ombudsman would investigate complaints in the petition, take such action as he considered appropriate and decide whether any maladministration had occurred.
The
Ombudsman would report to the king.
If any case was established the petitions would be referred to the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police.
The
main points
Speculation is growing that Tonga’s
Ombudsman will make an announcement about the three petitions attacking the government
on Monday.
The Ombudsman has called a press
conference for 10am on June 24.
As Kaniva
news reported last month, King Tupou has referred three petitions attacking
the government to the Ombudsman.
For
more information
King orders petitions from government’s
enemies to be referred to Ombudsman
Police have arrested and charged a 22-year-old after a man was shot in Nukunuku.
The incident occurred after
midnight last night at Hihifo rd.
A 22-year-old man from Fua’amotu was at Vaiola hospital with an injury sustained from a gunshot wound to his stomach during an altercation with the suspect, Police said.
Police also seized a .22
rifle from the suspect.
The suspect is in police
custody while police investigation continues.
The level of
support for the Mate Ma’a Tonga, both in Tonga and in Auckland, is not as
intense as it was last year and the years before.
Tickets for
this weekend’s clash with New Zealand Kiwis have not sold as fast as expected.
The parade
and activities which have been organised so far to support Saturday’s match
look like being low key affair.
It has been
reported that fewer Tongan homes have been decorated ahead of the game.
While there
appears to be no specific reason for this, some analysts believed the disarray
within the Tonga National Rugby league could be responsible.
The Mate Ma’a Tonga is now being looked after by an interim board set up by the Supreme Court following a bitter and protracted dispute that has threatened to tear the NRL apart.
However, it
has also been suggested that it would have been better to stage the game last
year when New Zealand’s 2017 loss to Tonga was fresh in people’s minds.
There have also been argument that the Kiwi lost a great deal of local support because of their performance.
In the
meantime, tickets for the game are still available and organisers are confident
more than 20,000 will be old.
One block of
seats will definitely be filled thank to Hynds Pipe system in East Tamaki
which, for the third year in a row, is shouting it workers tickets to support
the Mate Ma’a.,
Support
While
Saturday’s game may not have aroused the passion that surrounded the game
against Australia, the Mate Ma’a have won increased support from the Tongan
government.
Sports Minister Saia Piukala told Parliament this week the government would pay AUS$2,500 for each player who took to the field on Saturday.
He said the
government normally paid $1000 for a player, but because of the high standard
of performance the team had achieved,
the government has increased the amount.
Gutted
When Mate
Ma’a Tonga take to the field they will do so without powerhouse Andrew Fifita,
who has been given a three-match ban by the NRL’s judiciary committee for a
dangerous tackle.
Fifita
described himself a “absolutely gutted” that he could not play, but said “I
can’t wait to see the red sea this weekend.”
While Fifita
won’t be playing, the game offers Brisbane Broncos’ centre, Kotoni Staggs, a
chance to play for Mate Ma’a Tonga for the first time.
Saturday’s
match against the New Zealand Kiwis will kick off at 5.40pm.
The stadium
gates open at 2pm.
The New
Zealand women’s national rugby league team, Kiwi Ferns, will play Fetu Samoa,
Samoa women’s national rugby league team at 3.10pm.
The
main points
The level of support for the Mate Ma’a
Tonga, both in Tonga and in Auckland, is not as intense as it was last year and
the years before.
Tickets for this weekend’s clash with
New Zealand Kiwis have not sold as fast as expected.
Saturday’s match against the New
Zealand Kiwis will kick off at 5.40pm.
A new construction and refurbishment of the existing Neiafu Vava’u Police Station started on Monday.
The project was funded by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
A blessing was held in Neiafu on Wednesday 12 to mark the beginning of the building of the district police headquarters.
Commissioner Caldwell said: “The new station will provide a stronger policing capability for the people of Vava’u, strengthen border security and provide a safe haven for the victims of crime, and give our officers a decent building to work in.”
“The
first role of the Police is to protect our citizens. Policing is about serving
the community and working hand in hand to keep our citizens and our young
people safe. This new Station is important but it is the work that happens
inside and outside of the building that is most important.”
Commissioner Caldwell acknowledged the support of the New Zealand and Australia Governments, through the Tonga Police Development Program which has seen the constructions of seven new Police Stations throughout Tonga since 2010, the Vaini Police Station, ‘Ohonua Police Station (‘Eua), Pangai Police Station (Ha’apai), Mu’a Police Station, Nukunuku Police Station, Nomuka Police Station, Nuku’alofa Central Police Station and now the construction of the new Vava’u Police Station.
The work is carried out by
the Puloka Construction Group Ltd and due for completion before Christmas 2019.
The
feud between the Tonga Boxing Association and New Zealand based Tongan boxing
amateurs had been disappointing, the Chairman of Tonga Sports Council, ‘Ikani
Taliai, said today.
Speaking
to Kaniva news, Taliai said he was
concerned that it appeared the selection of the best athletes for the South
Pacifc Games had been compromised.
He
warned that the government would not fund a team or athletes or organisational
governance for the Samoa Pacific Games next month if they did not reach the
qualification standards.
“The
boxing team is no exception,” he said.
He
also warned that the athletes must be the priority of all sport federations
which came under the control of the Tonga Amateur Sports Association and
National Olympic Committee (TASANOC).
Taliai
made his comments after Kaniva news
reported this week that TBA Secretary Mataele Funaki had demanded an apology
from New Zealand-based Tongan trainer Fili Maka before he would endorse four
boxing champions from Maka’s camp to represent Tonga at the Pacific Games.
Maka
refused to apologise, saying the TBA had triggered the feud after it did not
keep to their agreement before they arrived in Tonga for the National Boxing
Tournament in March.
As Kaniva news reported yesterday, Maka was
accused of visiting to the Prime Minister.
In an e-mail to TBA seen by Kaniva news, Maka said he and others met in Tonga in an attempt to set up a new Tonga Boxing Association.
He also said they visited the Prime Minister and reported to him what had happened between him and Fūnaki.
It is understood Fūnaki and TBA believed some people, including Maka, were attempting to hijack the national boxing association.
“This whole episode has been disappointing because as you say the better boxers have not been given the chance to represent Tonga at the PG,” Taliai told Kaniva news.
“I hear that Mataele is demanding an apology from Fili before he will include the New Zealand- based boxers in the list. This is ridiculous and childish. If this is true then obviously Mataele is not making the athletes the priority, but something else. Someone going to see the PM about concerns should be of no consequence. Making it a consequence is making the issue political.”
Government
funding for the Pacific Games teams came from the TSC.
“I
have made it clear that if a team or athlete or organisational governance is
not appropriate or reached qualification standards then the TSC will deny
funding for the purpose of going to Samoa,” he said.
“This is still knowing that Tasanoc can select teams or athletes to go to Samoa regardless of whether we at TSC don’t think they should go.
“We have made this clear to Tasanoc and all sport Federations. The boxing team is no exception. They know that if they don’t select the most appropriate athletes which obviously includes the NZ based ones, we will not fund then.”
Taliai
said this opened up a more regional problem for sports across the Pacific,
especially the running of the Pacific Games.
“All
governments across the Pacific do not have the authority to select their teams
to the Pacific Game, even though those governments pay the bills,” he said.
“This
is how it’s set up and why there is a problem. The agents of the PGC are the
independent bodies in each country such as TASANOC in Tonga. If any government
interferes with these independent bodies the PGC bans that country from the games.
Tahiti is a recent example.”
The main points
The
feud between the Tonga Boxing Association and New Zealand based Tongan boxing
amateurs had been disappointing, the Chairman of Tonga Sports Council, ‘Ikani
Taliai, said today.
Speaking
to Kaniva news, Taliai said he was
concerned that it appeared the selection of the best athletes for the South
Pacific Games had been compromised.
For more information
Trainer says his story twisted; TBA
denies politics involved in decision to
drop Pacific Games boxing winner
