Tonga

More than 60 Australian Defence Force personnel travelled to the island nations between 8 April and 4 May 2019, conducting activities to support peace, security and the sovereignty, of these countries.

Commander of Task Group 637.1, Lieutenant Colonel Will Harvey said the visits built on recent regional engagement activities and decades of cooperation between Australia and Pacific Island nations.

This year’s harvest was successful, after suffering from the impacts of climate change since 2016.

A local vanilla grower from Tu’anuku, Vava’u Maliu Mafuataimi says, they sold more than 90 kilos of vanilla beans to a local company and earned 20 thousand pa’anga.

He adds, they faced many problems in the previous years and today, they are very happy with the outcome and its very rewarding.

Radio Tonga reports the average price for one kilo of vanilla beans in the local market is 150 pa’anga per kilo but today Mafuataimi sold one kilo for 200 pa’anga.

Matangi Tonga reports 59-year-old Paula Naitoko is facing nine charges for engaging with others to import illicit drugs, and for aiding and abetting the importation of illegal firearms and ammunition.

Tonga Police reported its Drug Enforcement Taskforce seized drugs with a street value of more than $US2.5 million dollars.

The haul included methamphetamine, cannabis and cannabis oil, allegedly smuggled into Tonga from the United States.

 Siaosi Vaka won two bronze medals, winning his first in the men’s singles event last Thursday after losing to Fiji’s Kope Taubakao.

Vaka won his second medal in a team competition partnering with Timothy Shadrack from the Solomon Islands.

Satua Ngungutau won a bronze medal when she paired with Hayley Sands from Australia in the women’s Class 2 – 5 team competition.

The athletes return to Tonga with their coach Mako Kobayashi and a support staff member, today.

The Belt and Road Energy Partnership was launched at a meeting in Beijing last week attended by several Pacific heads of state.

The partnership promotes cooperation between countries on energy development with a focus on addressing climate change and energy security.

According to a release from Tonga's government, it is the only Pacific nation to join the energy partnership.

Tonga's energy minister, Poasi Tei, one of six ministers invited to the ceremony last Thursday, said a wind power station in Tongatapu donated by China last year was part of the partnership.

Members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces’ navy and military honoured Tatafu at an emotional funeral at Ma’ufanga yesterday.

Tatafu was described as one who “he has an ambition to work for the nation.”

Kaniva News reports 52-year-old Tatafu was reported missing at sea on April 23.

He had failed to arrive in Nuku’alofa at 10am after leaving ‘Eua at 6am.

Search and rescue team finally located Tatafu’s body on the beach area at Tu’aliku cliffs of Lapaha.

The body of his colleague Litani Taufa was still missing.

ADB’s flagship annual economic publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2019, says Tonga’s economy is set to grow by 2.1% in 2019, while growth will moderate slightly to 1.9% in 2020.

The ADB report says the contribution of tourism to Tonga’s gross domestic product (GDP) has grown steadily, albeit from a small base of only 7.0% of GDP in 2010, reaching 11.5% in 2017.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Women’s Affairs Division spearheaded the compilation of the publication with the support from key Ministries, key stakeholders and the Pacific Community (SPC) Social Development Programme. The “Gender Equality: Where do we stand? Publication is an innovative example of how Tonga is working to advance gender equality. While the work in compiling gender statistics, data analysis and convening of gender statistics workshop began 2 years ago, SPC began supporting gender statistics in Tonga since 2000.

The Ministry's chief executive said the $US10 million grant will be spread over six years to implement Tonga's Pathway to Sustainable Ocean Project.

Dr Tu'ikolongahau Halafihi said special management areas will be established throughout Tonga to delegate the management of coastal fisheries to the communities.

He said as well as managing current fish stocks the plan looks to develop new marine resources such as pearl in the future.

Led by the Tongan Police band, the parade was the focal point of the day’s activities for the 2019 Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) Women’s Congress, which opened the night before. Wearing colorful traditional dress and waving the flags of their nations, the women carried banners and posters promoting EndItNow—a global Seventh-day Adventist campaign aimed at stopping violence against women. Many curious onlookers stopped to watch the procession.