MOU

Tonga is the first Island nation to sign-up to the competition which aims to drive a new level of innovative thinking and problem-solving amongst the country’s youth.

Today Tonga’s Minister of Education, Isikeli Oko met with Samsung New Zealand’s President HM Chun, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding agreement to bring Samsung’s flagship Corporate Sustainability Program, Solve for Tomorrow to the students of Tonga.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Bahrain during the Asian body's annual congress.

Oceania President Lambert Maltock said the agreement is hugely significant and beneficial for football in the Pacific. 

"We are pleased that the implementation of this agreement means a focus on high level competitions between representative teams from both confederations," Maltock said.

A joint statement said the MoU would result in "high-level competition" for men's and women's teams and the exchanging of knowledge, experience and resources.

The new agreement will provide the opportunity to assign designated sites that focus on unique natural environments and cultural heritage, as well as boost partnership supporting the development of sustainable & diverse tourism opportunities across the Pacific.

The partnership will allow Tongan rugby players to travel to the Bay of Plenty and participate in a structured and organised rugby program that will include education and player welfare.

Tonga produces world-class players that represent teams in every major playing nation. Tonga Rugby Union CEO Peter Harding says that one of Tonga's biggest challenges is losing track of its national rugby talent abroad and hopes the partnership will help amend this.

The new bilateral agreement replaces the tripartite agreement between Tonga, Australia and New Zealand that was known as the Tonga Police Development Programme (TPDP) that commenced in 2008 and ended in June 2020.

At the signing ceremony yesterday (Thursday) Minister of Police, Lord Nuku said he was very grateful for the support given by the Australian Government through the Australia Federal Police and was thankful for Australia’s future commitment working together with Tonga Police.

The MOU was signed by the Chair of Tonga’s Electoral Commission the RT Hon Ramsay Dalgety and New Zealand’s Chief Electoral Officer, Alicia Wright Monday afternoon.

The agreement is a NZ$1.5 million three-year programme funded by the Government of New Zealand through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The programme is aimed at improving electoral education, voters access, transparency of campaign finance and improving the quality of access to media for candidates in the 2021 General Elections.

Tonga Ministry of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding that covers the quarantine certification of food taken into New Zealand.

Head of Biosecurity New Zealand Roger Smith said the agreement meant Tongan passengers would bypass long queues in quarantine when they landed in New Zealand.

He said Tonga posed a low biosecurity risk to New Zealand.

The Ministry’s CEO, Dr. Viliami Manu, said the MOU showed Biosecurity New Zealand trusted Tongan quarantine officers to carry out the certification process.

The MoU, which was recently signed by the Board of The Foundation and Tonga’s Minister of Health, Dr Saia Piukala, outlines The Foundation’s commitment to continue to deliver quality eye care services in Tonga, helping to put an end to avoidable blindness in the Pacific, where four out of five people who are blind, don’t need to be.

The South Pacific Tourism Organisation is expected to work with the grouping of Melanesian countries in areas like planning, policy, information sharing, product development and marketing.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed in Port Vila also includes collaboration with airlines on products, capacity building and training.

The tourism body's CEO Chris Cocker has highlighted the great potential for Solomon Islands and PNG in the area of cruise and niche tourism.

He's also pointed to the example of Fiji which has 40 percent of the Pacific's regional market share.

SPTO and PIPSO share common interests in developing tourism and private sector growth in the Pacific region and have identified areas where the two organisations can work together to promote and develop a joint strategic way forward in the region.

This partnership is an undertaking between SPTO and PIPSO to work together to promote tourism and private sector development in the South Pacific in a manner that is both sustainable and brings economic growth and social benefits to the region.