Daily life will be a little easier for over 400 families in Tongatapu and ‘Eua with the arrival this week of a consignment of non-perishable food from New Zealand.

The consignment was put together by Tongan RSE workers and subsidised by their employers and is valued at over $TOP100,000.

NZ Government agency MBIE, Horticulture New Zealand and Tonga Development Bank also chipped in to pay the freight costs of the 3x20ft containers

Of the 400 families involved, 60 or so are in Eua and their consignment will be shipped over on the next day or two.

RSE liaison officer in New Zealand, Sefita Hao’uli is here to assist with the distribution which is being carried out by NEMO and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The distribution is being carried out at the entrance to Teufaive Stadium and recipients are asked to bring ID and a suitable vehicle as there’s over 130 kilos of food for each family to take home.

It is hoped that the distribution in Nuku’alofa will be completed today and the consignment to the Eua families will leave for Ohonua on the ferry this afternoon.

The RSE workers are grateful for the financial assistance received which enabled them to help their families while they’re away from home.

Background information:

  1. Consignment of 3 containers valued at $TOP110K including freight.
  2. Each fāmily will receive:
  • 25 kilos of rice
  • 25 kilos of sugar
  • 60 kilos of flour
  • 20 litres of cooking oil
  • 1 carton of canned mackerel
  1. A similar initiative was in place for Vava’u and Ha’apai families following cyclone Ian.
  2. Most employers either advanced and/or subsidised the workers contribution to the consignment e.g Mr Apple who employs over 300 workers paid $NZ30,000 to subsidise their workers contribution.
  3. The freight costs were met by MBIE, Horticulture New Zealand and Tonga Development Bank.
  4. Tongan government’s decision to waive tax and duty for 6 months after Gita has helped to make this more affordable for the workers and their families. Agencies NEMO and the Ministry of Internal Affairs played key roles to make all this possible.
  5. ‘Oku laka hake he toko 1600 ‘oku nau ngāue RSE ‘i Nu’usila he ta’u kotoa pe pea ko ‘enau tokoni pa’anga mo e koloa ki he mo’ui faka’ekonomika ‘a Tonga ‘oku ‘i he $TOP12m – 15m fakata’u.

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1 COMMENT

  1. ‘E toe ki’i nonga ange ‘a e ngaahi fāmili ‘e 400 tupu ‘i Tongatapu mo ‘Eua na’e uesia ‘enau
    mo’ui faka’aho ‘e saikolone Gita mo Kenny ‘i hono fakahifo mo tufotufa au he ‘aho ‘a e uta
    me’akai ma’a kinautolu mei Nu’usila ke tufotufa atu.

    Ko e uta me’akai ‘eni na’e fakapa’anga ia ‘e he kau ngāue Tonga RSE ‘i Nu’usila ma’a honau
    ngaahi fāmili takitaha pea tokoni’i foki eni ‘e he ni’ihi ‘o e ngaahi ngāue’anga koia ‘oku nau
    lolotonga ngāue ai he ta’u ni.

    Na’e fakalava e ngaahi fakamole ki he uta ni ‘e he pule’anga Nu’usila (potungāue Ministry of
    Business, Innovation and Employment), Horticulture New Zealand pea mo e Tonga
    Development Bank.

    Ko e ngaahi fāmili ‘e 340 tupu ‘i Tongatapu pea 60 tupu ‘i ‘Eua te nau ma’u ‘e me’atokoni
    ko’eni ‘a ia ko e laise, mahoa’a, suka, lolo ngaahi kai mo e kapa-ika.

    Na’e folau mai foki mo e uta ni ‘a Sefita Hao’uli, ‘a ia ‘oku ne tokanga’i ‘a e kau ngāue RSE ‘i
    Nu’usila ma’a e pule’anga Tonga ke tokoni ‘i hono tufotufa, ‘a ia ‘oku lolotonga fakahoko ia
    ‘e he potungāue Ministry of Internal Affairs pea mo e National Emergency Management
    Organisation (NEMO).

    Ko e koniteina ‘e 3 ko’eni ‘oku tufa atu ia ki he ngaahi fāmili ‘e he ve’e mala’e Teufaiva pea
    ‘oku kole atu heni kia kinautolu koia kuo ‘osi fakatu’asila ki ai ‘a e ngaahi fakamoimoi
    me’akai ke nau lava mai mo ha’a nau ID pea ke fai eni he vave taha he ‘aho ni (Pulelulu).
    ‘Oku lave foki mo e ngaahi fāmili mei ‘Eua he tufotufa ni pea ‘e fakafolau atu honau ‘inasi ‘i
    he vaka ‘o e ‘aho ni ki ‘Ohonua.

    ‘Oku hounga’ia e kau ngāue RSE ‘i he tokoni kotoa pe kuo nau ma’u ‘o lava ai ke nau fakalato
    e fatongia ki honau ngaahi fāmili he ‘oku nau nofo hoha’a mai ki he aga ‘o ‘enau mo’ui he
    ngaahi ‘aho faingata’a ni, lolotonga ‘enau faifatongia ‘i Nu’usila.

    Ko e puipuitu’a ki he ngāue ni:
    1. Ko e mahu’inga fakakatoa ‘o e uta me’akai ni ‘oku ‘i he $TOP110,000.
    2. ‘E ma’u ‘e he fāmili kotoa pe ‘oku nau kau he tufa ko’eni ‘a e:
    a. Laise kilo ‘e 25
    b. Suka kilo ‘e 25
    c. Mahoa’a kilo ‘e 60
    d. Lolo ngaahi kai lita ‘e 20
    e. Pua kapaika ‘e 1
    3. Ko e founga tokoni ko’eni ‘oku fakahoko ma’u pe ia hili ha hoko ‘o ha fakatamaki
    fakaenatula ‘o hangē ko e saikolone na’e to ‘i Vava’u mo Ha’apai he ngaahi ta’u kuo
    maliu atu.

    4. Hounga ki he kau ngāue ‘a e tokoni fakapa’anga mei he ngaahi ngāue’anga ‘o hangē
    koia ko e kautaha Mr Apple ‘oku ngāue ai ‘a e 300 tupu ‘i he ta’u ni. Na’a nau foaki
    ha $30,000 ma’ae kau ngāue ke tokoni’i ‘enau fakatau honau ‘inasi he uta ni.
    5. Ko e feleti ‘o e koniteina ‘e 3 na’e fakapa’anga ia ‘e he potungāue MBIE, Horticulture
    NZ pea mo e Tonga Development Bank.
    6. Na’e tokoni ‘aupito ‘a e tu’utu’uni ‘e he pule’anga Tonga ke to’o e tute mo e tukuhau
    pea mo e tokoni makehe ‘a e NEMO mo e Ministry of Internal Affairs.
    7. More than 1600 are employed under the NZ RSE scheme each season and their
    contribution to the Tongan economy in cash and in kind is valued at TOP$12-$15m
    per annum.