The Tongan government should find the real economic problems facing Tongans, the CEO of Revenue and Customs ‘Anisi Bloomfield said today.

Bloomfield said it was time to stop relying on solutions from economic textbooks.

As Kaniva News reported last month, the government announced that from now on budgets would be set according to a policy of aligning expenditure with GDP ratios.

“This problem has been raised from time to time and people are sick of it,” Bloomfield said.

He said economic policy was the cause of the civil servants’ strike in 2005.

Budget allocation should reflect activities and solution to stop these problems.

Dr ʻAisake Eke, former Finance Minister . Photo/Viola Ulakai, Facebook

“It is about time for us to talk about the solutions to these problems,” Bloomfield said.

“If not, we cannot resolve our problem.”

He said Tonga faced high unemployment, but still imported foreign workers.

“The government still issues visas to taxi drivers and shop keepers and after staying in Tonga for five years these foreigners are allowed to apply for permanent residency,” Bloomfield said.

He said solutions needed to stop the government from having to absorb employees,  including those who have just finished university.

“Is the policy for selecting our scholarship candidates still valid and should it still be based on government’s need or is it about time to include the views of the private sector?” the CEO asked.

“We should not only look at Government human resource development but also national human resource development so the private sector should absorb part of those human resources.

“I am afraid otherwise we will reach a stage where 80% of our budget goes to the salaries and wages and only 20% goes to service.

“If we do not do something about it now while the rate of unemployment is high our situation will be worse.”

The main points

  • The Tongan government should find the real economic problems facing Tongans, the CEO of Revenue and Customs, ‘Anisi Bloomfield, said today.
  • Bloomfield said it was time to stop relying on solutions from economic textbooks.
  • He said economic policy was the cause of the civil servants’ strike in 2005.
  • Budget allocation should reflect activities and solution to stop these problems.

For more information

Finance Ministry sets financial targets to underpin future budgets

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1 COMMENT

  1. ‘Oku fiemaʻu ke taʻaki hake ʻe he puleʻanga Tongá ʻa e tefito ʻo e palopalema ʻoku fehangahangai mo e kakaí, ko e lau ʻeni ʻa e CEO e Tānaki Paʻanga Fakalotofonuá mo e Tuté ʻAnisi Bloomfield.

    Pehē ʻe Bloomfield kuo taimi ke taʻofi e fakafalala hono ngāueʻaki e ngaahi tohi fakaako fakaʻekonōmiká ki hono vete palopalema fakaʻekonōmika ʻa e fonuá.

    Hangē ko ia ne līpooti atu ʻe he Kanivá he māhina kuo ʻosí ne pehē ʻe he puleʻangá ko ʻene patisetí he lele atu ko ʻení ʻe fakafalala ia ʻi ha polisī ʻe tuʻunga ʻi hono fakafehoanaki e fakamolé mo e tuʻunga ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e GDP, pe ko e paʻanga ʻoku maʻu ʻe he tokotaha hili hono vahevahe e paʻanga fakakātoa ʻa e fonuá.

    Ka ko e palopalema ʻeni ia ki he lau ʻa Bloomfield mo ne pehē kuo tā tuʻolahi hono fakamatala mai e foʻi vete ko iá pea kuo mamahi e telinga e kakaí he fanongo ki aí he ʻoku ʻikai ngāue.

    Ne ne pehē ko e makatuʻunga ia ʻo e tukungāue ʻi he 2005 ko e faʻahinga fokotuʻutuʻu ʻekonōmika polisī ko ʻení.

    Ne ne toe pehē kuo taimi ke ʻasi mei hono vahevahe ʻo e patisetí ʻa e ʻū vete ki hono taʻofi e ngaahi palopalemá ni.

    Ka ʻikai ʻe ʻikai pe lava ke tau vete ʻetau palopalema fakaʻekonōmiká.

    Ne ne pehē lolotonga ʻa e fehangahangai ʻa e fonuá mo e māʻolunga ʻo e taʻemaʻu ngāué ʻoku kei foaki pe visa ia ki he kau fakaʻuli tekisií mo e kau faifakatau he ngaahi fale koloá pea ko ʻene ʻosi pe taʻu ʻe nima ʻenau nofo ʻi Tongá kuo nau ʻatā kinautolu ke nau ʻapalai ki haʻanau pepa nofo fonua.

    Ne ne toe fehuʻi foki pe ʻoku kei taau e founga ki hono fili e sikolasipi ʻa e puleʻangá ʻo fakatatau mo ʻene fiemaʻu pe ʻaʻaná pe na kuo taimi ke fakakau mai ha ngaahi fakakaukau mei he sekitoa taautahá.

    ʻOku ʻikai totonu ke puke kotoa pe ʻe he puleʻangá ʻa e kakai ʻoku foki mai hili e sikolasipi ko ʻeni ka kuo taimi ke vahe atu e kau ako ni ke nau ngāue ʻi he ngaahi ngāueʻanga sekitoa taautahá.

    ʻOku manavasiʻi ʻa Bloomfield naʻa aʻu ki ha tuʻunga kuo pēseti ia ʻe 80 e patisetí ko e vāhenga ʻataʻatā e kau ngāue pea pēseti pe ʻe 20 ki he ngaahi fatongia maʻa e fonuá.

    Kapau ʻe ʻikai ke tau fai ha meʻa ki ai he taimí ni ʻi he uhouhonga e māʻolunga ʻa e taʻemaʻungāué ʻe toe kovi ange e tuʻunga ia ʻoku tau ʻi aí, ko ʻene laú ia.