Tonga may be where time begins but with less than a week remaining before the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) kicks off, the government finds itself in a frantic race against time to ensure everything is in place to ensure the success of this major regional event.
The event, which is expected to draw leaders and dignitaries from across the Pacific, has seen a whirlwind of last-minute preparations, raising concerns about the Kingdom’s readiness to host such a high-profile gathering.
Over the past weeks, the government’s efforts have included a flurry of activities, from training programmes for liaison officers and drivers to site visits and security drills, and giving inexperienced university students hands-on practice putting up container house units from China.
The timing of these activities, just days before the event, tells us about the pressure the government faces in pulling everything together. In fact, these preparations are being done so close to the event suggests a lack of foresight with proactive planning.
This week’s preparations included a training for liaison officers and VVIP drivers in Vava’u designed to prepare them for their roles in hosting and assisting the distinguished guests. This training is part of a broader effort to ensure that all logistics run smoothly during the Forum in particular for when the Pacific leaders will travel to Vava’u for a one-day retreat.
The Media Association of Tonga (MAT) also began a five-day joint training programme Monday, facilitated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office. This training is important particularly for our local media and with about 40 personnel registered to cover the PIFLM.
The media training programme includes workshops on doorstop interviews, media coordination with regional partners like Pacific Islands News Association(PINA)-PIF, and sessions with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). While comprehensive, the fact that these sessions are being conducted so close to the event suggests a reactive approach rather than a proactive one.
In preparation for the influx of leaders and delegates, a significant focus has been placed on ensuring adequate accommodation.
Last Saturday, Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala officially launched a cluster of container houses at Popua, now named “Niu Lodge.” These 60 units, along with additional units at Vaha’akolo Road, Kausela Road, and Sopu, have been constructed to accommodate the delegates.
The prefabricated container units at Popua, hastily assembled to address the severe accommodation shortage caused by the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunamis, are being touted as a post-forum boost to Tonga’s tourism infrastructure but only reflect the government’s desperate attempt to patch up Tonga’s fragile tourism infrastructure.
While these units, which were bought by the government from a local Chinese business, are intended for long-term use post-Forum, their rushed construction by university students lacking building experience raise serious doubts about their quality and durability.
The containers may not withstand Tonga’s harsh climate and demanding conditions, casting a shadow over their viability as a sustainable solution. The same type of container houses sent to ‘Eua for the Mango displaced community is reportedly rotting away since King Tupou VI allegedly instructed to replace them with ‘better quality’ prefab houses from New Zealand.
This quick fix, while addressing an immediate crisis, may ultimately prove to be a costly misstep, resulting in more significant issues down the line, leaving the Kingdom with poor infrastructure long after the Forum delegates have departed.
The situation with the container houses on Kausela Road and Sopu is troubling as the deadline for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting looms. Many of these units remain unfurnished despite the expectation that they will be completed within the week. The units on Vaha’akolo Road appear to be equipped with basic utilities.
And even whether the building along Sopu is on the Red Zone for tsunami threats, that is being put aside for now. The rushed completion of these temporary accommodations casts doubt on their readiness and overall quality. And the plan to sell part of the container houses for 50,000 pa’anga each post-event raises questions about the government’s priorities.
More pressure is felt by the government as its grapples with a significant shortage in accommodation for the expected 1,000 visitors. Initially, the government announced that 300 private homes would be available to house delegates, but the reality falls short.
Fewer than 300 homes have been approved for Forum accommodation, a situation further complicated by stringent requirements such as fire extinguishers, air conditioning, and fire exits. These requirements have placed added burden on ‘patriotic’ homeowners, who now would have to cover related expenses themselves. This last-minute scramble highlights the challenges in Tonga’s preparations and raises concerns about whether the Kingdom can meet the basic needs of its high-profile guests.
The Tonga High School Sports Complex, currently under construction, is also being expedited to serve as a key venue for the meeting, a glaring example of the government’s rushed and last-minute preparations. With construction still ongoing, the site was hastily visited for programme rehearsals just yesterday. The urgency is palpable as construction workers, imported from China, toil around the clock, including Sundays, to meet the government’s desperate deadline.
The pressure to have the Tonga High School Indoor Stadium ready for an official opening this week is telling about the chaotic scramble behind the scenes. This frantic pace raises serious concerns about safety, quality, and the broader implications of such hasty infrastructure projects, particularly when the stakes are so high.
The Kingdom’s efforts to beautify villages, led by the Ministry of Tourism, and the ongoing security training for liaison officers further illustrate the all-hands-on-deck approach being taken. However, with so much being done in such a short span, concerns about the effectiveness and thoroughness of these knee-jerk reaction-type of preparations remain.
Security measures are being rigorously tested, with motorcade drills conducted over the past two weeks in Tongatapu and Vava’u. These drills, involving police motorcycles and luxury government vehicles, will ensure the safe and efficient transportation of leaders and delegates from Fua’amotu International Airport to their accommodations.
Just last Friday, preparation drills were carried out at the Fua’amotu airport on security and delegation reception protocols. These drills, important for ensuring the smooth arrival of leaders, are another indicator of the government’s eleventh-hour rush to finalise preparations.
As the clock ticks down to the opening of the PIFLM next Monday August 26, Tonga’s government is left scrambling to ensure a to-the-best flawless execution. Whether these last-minute efforts will be enough to impress visiting leaders and dignitaries, or whether they will expose cracks in the Kingdom’s ability to host such a significant event, remains to be seen.
