Prime Minister officially commissioned Navutoka’s Government Primary ^Featured

Navutoka’s Government Primary School has three new buildings with seven classrooms in the measurement of 49 square meter each.

The reconstruction is an integral component of the Pacific Resilience Program (PREP), currently implemented by the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and funded by the World Bank and the Government of Australia.

PREP is a regional program with a series of projects to strengthen the resilience of participating countries, including Tonga, through strengthen early warning and preparedness; create a framework for stronger and prioritized investments in resilience and retrofitting of key-public assets to meet international recognized resilience standards or build back better; and improve the post-disaster response capacity of the countries through strengthen financial resilience to disaster events.

Hon. Minister for MEIDECC in his project overview, Mr. Poasi Tei said, during the PREP implementation, TC Gita hit in February 2018, and this is exactly what PREP has been designed for as the World Bank and the Australian Government donated additional finance of US$13 million for the reconstruction of schools that were damaged and destroyed by TC Gita in Tongatapu and ‘Eua.

“The Hon Prime Minister, Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa did the ground-breaking of these school reconstruction right here on this very ground of his own constituency straight after his appointment by His Majesty VI, as Prime Minister on the 08 October, 2019. That was his first marked-duty as the Prime Minister.”

“Today, is historical too, the Hon Prime Minister again commissioned the school reconstruction, four months later. It also marked a much-awaited completed reconstruction two years after TC Gita”.

Hon. Tei also acknowledged the Cardo Limited of Australia for designing and supervising the construction, Cabella Construction Limited for building the schools, Ministry of Education and Training for furnishing of these schools and the Ministry of Infrastructure for the overall supervision and oversight of the reconstructions.

“The school reconstructions for Vaini of $1.7 million pa’anga built by Kiwi Tonga, and Fasi-moe-Afi of $1 million pa’anga built by Puloka Construction, have both been completed as well for the students to use, and the remaining school reconstructions will be completed within the next few months.”

Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Dr Tu’i’onetoa as the Guest of Honour for the occasion expressed his sincere gratitude to those who contributed to this much awaited school reconstruction after TC Gita.

“Finally we commissioned this school building after 4 months of reconstruction and I am happy that this important work is ultimately moving ahead.”

Addressing the occasion on behalf of the Donors, the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency Mr. Adrian Morrison said the Australian Government is looking forward to further strengthen their relationship with partners as it is with this reconstruction.

The school reconstruction program is divided into several procurement packages. The first package includes the first three priority schools (GPS Fasi, Vaini, and Navutoka).

The second package includes ‘Apifo’ou College, Beulah Primary School, GPS Haamonga, and GPS Kahoua in Tongatapu.

The third package includes GPS ‘Ohonua, GPS Taoa, GPS Feletoa and Hofangahau College of ‘Eua.

The remaining packages will include twenty-two schools and is a combination of new construction and repair works.

The timeline for this reconstruction program includes six months designs and twelve months construction period starting in March 2019. Completion date is set for August 2020.

As part of the event, the welcoming remarks was convey by Mr. ‘Alipate Halatuituia and the vote of thanks by the Minister for Education and Training, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni.