Questions remain over a mysterious government housing plan which aims to build thousands of homes for Tonga's poor.
The government could not be reached for comment but RNZ Pacific correspondent, Kalafi Moala, said the plan seemed to be an election ploy ahead of next year's vote.
RNZ Pacific correspondent, Kalafi Moala Photo: RNZ Pacific
Moala said the talk of 20,000 houses being provided was odd, given it was probably more than currently existed across the country.
The 2011 census stated there were just over 18,000 private households in the kingdom.
Moala said the initial focus had been on repairing and replacing houses damaged by 2018's Cyclone Gita.
"There is no more talk about building houses to help those whose houses were damaged during the cyclone.
"Now they are talking about the poor - that these houses are to be built for poor people who need houses," he said.
Two houses have been built and handed over to their new occupiers, the first of which was in the Prime Minister's local constituency, Moala added.