Dr 'Aisake Eke. 27 January 2025 Photo: Facebook / PM Press
The newly appointed Tongan Prime Minister has announced a raft of initiatives to improve public service delivery, including keeping government ministries open during the official lunch hour.
Dr 'Aisake Eke, who was elected to lead Tonga on Christmas Eve, revealed his government's plans at his first media briefing on 30 January.
Matangi Tonga reports that the changes to government services announced by the Prime Minister include, extending ministries' services to lunch time, reducing electricity costs, and encouraging whistleblowers in the civil service.
"He said his government will 'Ta pea ngali' - meaning their actions will align with their words," the media outlet reports.
"He said they will solve issues they had raised in parliament.
"He said his government will seek help from development partners to buy fishing vessels in order to control the price of fish. Additional to that, he said they will look into the disputes between the Tonga Development Bank and the National Reserve Bank of Tonga."
The initiative to allow essential services in all government ministries to remain open during the official lunch hour started on Monday.
"The purpose of this initiative is to make Government services more accessible to the public," the prime minister's office said.
"This will be advantageous to people from the Hahake and Hihifo villages who travel to Nuku'alofa, and sometimes have to wait until around the lunch hour is over and Government services open.
"This will allow the public to know that Government essential services will be available all day during the normal working hours."
It said some of the essential services included under this initiative are the Treasury Services, Ministry of Finance One Stop Shop and related services, Ministry of Revenue and Customs; Immigration Services, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr Eke also announced his government's plans to invest more in education and work with construction companies to build back better.
Meanwhile, on the issue of US-non-Tonga born deportees, Dr Eke said that the government had established institutions to look after the deportees when they arrive.
