Building is in progress for both the venue for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting and accommodation for delegates, who will arrive in Nuku’alofa before the regional event set for 26 – 30 August.
With just six weeks to go, Tonga’s government is pushing to finish its preparations.
The Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni told a media briefing last week that the main venue will be the Tonga High School indoor stadium, which is still under construction.
He said they were also trying to complete the accommodation and construction of prefab houses before the first week of August.
There are multiple locations where prefab houses made from containers are being constructed.
He said there will be 16 houses at Vaha’akolo Road, Kolofo’ou, near the National Retirement Benefits Fund building.
Another 30 houses are under constructions at Kausela Road in Nuku’alofa, and over 30 houses being built at Sopu.
He said there were 60 houses to be built in Popua, which after the Forum, will become a hotel or motel to help boost the tourism sector due to the shortage of accommodation.
The Prime Minister promised that after the Forum, 50 houses would be given to those living in poor conditions, under the government’s Tapanekale Housing project, while the rest of the houses would be put up for sale by the Tonga Asset Managers and Associates Ltd. (TAMA).
The PM said they also had 300 rooms in homes across Tongatapu to rent for the meeting’s accommodation.
PM Sovaleni said they were still finalising the agenda for the meeting.
They are also planning to have a Youth Summit during the week.
“It is important for our youth to take part and voice out issues such as climate change, maritime security, and more.”
A leaders’ retreat will be held in Vava’u on the 29 of August, the PM confirmed.
He said that they would be back in Tongatapu on 30 of August to close the meeting.
He noted that Australia had offered two airplanes for their round-trip flights to Vava’u, so Lulutai would not be involved, he said.
Meanwhile, telephone and internet communications in the outer islands and Vava’u remain limited after the domestic cable went down on 29 June, and Starlink was directed by MEIDECC to cut off its services to Tonga.
