Malo NZ mo John Key a e Tokoni kihe Teufaiva Stadium ke toe fakaleleii fakalukufua - 2Miliona ia mei he Puleanga NZ - fakafetai e ofa!!!! NZ provides million-dollar support to stadium and education Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - 14:06 Nukualofa, Tonga Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa. 4 June 2014. Photo by Mary Lyn Fonua. By Linny Folau Visiting Tonga, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key this morning pledged around $2 million assistance to upgrade Tonga’s Teufaiva Stadium for the 2019 Pacific Games. New Zealand has also committed another $5 million towards the reconstruction of schools in Ha’apai that were destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Ian. The announcement was made during a joint-press conference between Tonga’s Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano and Prime Minister Key in Nuku’alofa. “Today I am also in a position to announce that New Zealand along with the Asian Development Bank will be investing $7.5 million dollars in the Ha’apai Islands as a result of Cyclone Ian. The schools there were for most part destroyed so New Zealand would be giving $5 of the $7.5 million that ADB, alongside other developing partners would be putting into the reconstruction of those new primary schools that have affected around 1300 students. This is an important step that the Ha’apai islands rebuild as a result of the devastating cyclone,” Prime Minister Key said. Lord Tu‘ivakano and the Rt. Hon John Key. Prime Minister’s Office, Nuku‘alofa. 4 June 2014 Lord Tu’ivakano responded by thanking the Prime Minister, government and the people of New Zealand for their assistance in various aspects of development in Tonga. He pointed out the Maama Mai energy project that was funded with $7.5 million grant by New Zealand. “The other big thing now is that we are in the process of re-establishing the Teufaiva Park I have appointed the former Prime Minister Feleti Sevele to see to that. We have also asked the Prime Minister Key when Teufaiva is finished may be they can invite the All Blacks to play ‘Ikale Tahi, he said. “I do thank you and your people and the New Zealand Government for the assistance, I don’t think there’s any words to say but thank you.” MA60 aircraft On questions from journalists on New Zealand’s standing travel advisory in regards to the Chinese gifted MA60 aircraft to Tonga, PM Key said Lord Tu’ivakano was leading the process of asking the World Bank to revise the aircraft to ensure that it was certified to a level that would be required for New Zealand to continue to support in terms of tourism in region. “Obviously we are looking forward to seeing that report and we are keen to provide any assistance or support that New Zealand might be able to provide. We take our responsibility very seriously as a donor in the region and to Tonga…We all remember with great sadness the death of those who were on the Princess Ashika ferry, so from the government’s point of view we would continue to monitor the situation,” he said. He said the leadership role had been taken by Lord Tu’ivakano but New Zealand takes very seriously their responsibility that an aircraft would need to be certified to a standard that they believe is appropriate. “If that fails to be the case then New Zealand would continue to have that warning on its travel website and we do it to make sure people are aware of the situation….it’s nothing specific to Tonga it’s simply to make sure we feel comfortable that our citizens understand the risk involved,” he said. “The first thing for us is to see the report from the World Bank, and we have not seen the final report as Lord Tu’ivakano said. Secondly, New Zealand would want to be comfortable of whatever findings of the World Bank report that the certification of the plane was consistent with the certifications that we expect of other aircraft that New Zealand citizens or other citizens might fly on.” PM Key said they wanted Tonga to be successful and to do well. “I am the Minister of Tourism in New Zealand as well so I understand how important tourism is. We have to appreciate in the end we have to be confident the plane is correctly certified and that it is safe and if for whatever reason it wasn’t, and there was a problem, that would have very significant ramification for tourism in Tonga. We take these issues very seriously and cautiously,” he said. Transport sector Lord Tu’ivakano said he had requested the World Bank to do this so as to have an independent body to look at Tonga’s whole transport sector as there was a need. “In the Pacific there is a problem with the whole transport sector and this is the reason I requested to have the assessment. There was a plane recently here that belly-landed in ‘Eua, so these are the kind of things to look at so safety is a very important issue even though old or new, it’s very important for us,” he said. He said the report from World Bank would come to the committee that he chairs but they had not seen the final. “I have requested ICAO, PASO and technical people to look at these things to give their professional opinions before we start to say otherwise,” he said. China In response to questions of China aid, Lord Tu’ivakano said China was like the new guy around the block. “When we look at Small Island Developing States they are friends with everybody and no enemy. They like to help in order to develop so China is able to provide some of this help to assist even when we look at these buildings developed here they have a large amount of money that can assist us,” he said. He said for example they were providing low interest rates with the new bank. “If we can compare to the two other commercial banks they have very high interest of 10-15 percent, nobody in Tonga would loan from the bansk because there are other costs affecting them,” he said. “If China can provide that for us I would not say no. I would take it and rebuild, otherwise we won’t have what is happening now. It’s the same as New Zealand helping us in all aspects of our development and they have always been there for us all the time. At the moment some Chinese run retail shops which helps our economy. It’s sad that some of our Tongans when they run small shops they don’t have the skills to keep the books and they run for two months and shop closes. I say learn from them because they have been in business for centuries.” PM Key added from New Zealand’s point of view they do not have a monopoly on providing aid and support to countries in the Pacific as there are plenty of countries through the generosity of their own citizens and governments who want to make a contribution. “We are very comfortable with the role of China within the Pacific and they have significant natural resources and they can play an important role in that.” PM Key is in Nuku’alofa on his 2014 Pacific Mission from June 3-5. He continues his visit to the Nuku’alofa Government Primary School and the Tonga Power Village Network Upgrade project at Ha’avakatolo this afternoon.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:05:07 +0000
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