Tonga

A statement said the delegation had great meeting with the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and senior Staff at the company's head office in Nadi last week.

Joined by the Chief Executive Officer Poasi Tei and staff, the delegation toured the facility and viewed flight simulators and the cabin crew training facility.

Fiji Airways currently flies their Fiji Link ATR aircraft from Tongatapu to Vava'u in an arrangement while the Lulutai aircraft is under repair and maintenance.

Photo supplied 

While South Pacific islands are still idyllic as ever, those arriving in Nukuʻalofa still get a sense of the disruption to infrastructure and livelihoods that the tsunami brought.

Much-amended guides and pamphlets are covered with amendments and lists of resorts and services that are still closed or destroyed completely.

On January 15 the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcano triggered an enormous explosive eruption, just 60 km off the shore of Tongatapu. Visible from space, the effects were felt as far afield as New Zealand and Japan.

"Very productive meeting with Fiji PM Rabuka exploring areas of collaboration and to further strengthen our ties. Expressed our gratitude to their support to the University of the South Pacific and amazing hospitality since we arrived. Malo aupito," Hon Hu'akavameiliku stated after the meeting.

Hu'akavameiliku is attending the Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat at the Sheraton Resort.

The meeting is chaired by Rabuka.

The future of regionalism in the Pacific will be discussed and determined today 

The ‘Otuanga’ofa arrived in Auckland in September 2022 and was expected to return to the kingdom last October.

New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries told Kaniva News the ferry was ordered back to sea for being “non-compliant with New Zealand’s biosecurity regulations.”

The Ministry said the vessel was allowed back into port to collect provisions.

However, even though the ferry was ordered to leave port to be cleaned, there was a delay because vital equipment was not working.

To help with early warning, the Tongan government received assistance from Japan to help improve the speed and stability of information transmission in the event of a disaster. 

Tagata Pasifika reports the population is spread over many islands mostly in low-lying coastal areas, where response efforts are often difficult.

Japan offered US$26m to establish a Wireless Communication System called the Nationwide Early Warning System (NEWS).

Hu'akavameiliku is accompanied by the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, Paula Ma'u.

The delegation was met by Fiji’s Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo at Nadi International Airport.

Hu'akavameiliku will join Forum Leaders at the Sheraton Resort in Denarau for their Special Retreat on Friday.

At a press briefing in Nuku’alofa last week, Hu'akavameiliku said he will recommend to the Forum Leaders that they push for visa exemptions for Pacific Island Leaders and officials with both New Zealand and Australia.

The Tonga Competent Authority announced that the new prices have been made effective from 20 February.

“The wholesale for petrol and kerosene prices will increase by 12.97 seniti/litre, 3.14 seniti/litre respectively.”

“Meanwhile, Diesel prices have dropped by 1.54 seniti/litre.”

“All price changes include consumption tax.”

The authority said the price change is based on the January 2023 average of published daily Mean of Platts Singapore benchmark prices, freight and exchange rate.

“Bees are very important in terms of pollination particularly the types of crops that we grow and export here in Tonga, which is squash and the watermelon both of those crops need to be pollinated by bees,” says Debra Allan, a beekeeper on the main island, Tongatapu.

Tagata Pasifika reports OhaiTonga is an NGO based on the main island of Tonga. 

They created a buzz in 2020 when locals were trained as beekeepers, part of the plan to ensure the island kingdom bounces back quickly after natural disasters like cyclones which impacts severely on the insect population.

The Ministry of Health recorded only four cases last week compared to 45 that were recorded in the previous week.

The MOH confirmed the four cases were recorded from the total of 910 plus tests carried out for the whole one week period.

He made the statement at Friday afternoon's joint Press Conference with the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna.

Hu'akavameiliku said he will recommend to the Forum Leaders that they push for visa exemptions for Pacific Island Leaders and officials with both New Zealand and Australia.

And that Pacific Island students in both countries be allowed to pay a special Pacific Islands Students fees, instead of international fees currently being charged for Pasifika students going to study in the two countries.