Pacific / Tonga

PSA says Tonga's PM needs to provide clearer policy

17:03 pm on 30 January 2018

The Secretary-General of the Public Service Association in Tonga says the government needs to produce clear policy documents if it wants to progress the nation.

The General Secretary of Tonga's PSA, Mele 'Amanaki. Photo: facebook

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This week the prime minister 'Akilisi Pohiva accused unnamed senior officials of being corrupt and said many were slowing the implementation of policy and causing the government to be dysfunctional.

The PSA's Mele 'Amanaki said the claims were general and unfounded.

"The accusation is very serious and very general also, but given the seriousness of the accusations it is unfounded and needs evidence to back up his comments."

She also said the government had provided nothing in writing to plan out the next few years and the same thing occurred during its last term.

Ms 'Amanaki said if Mr Pohiva provided clear leadership he could test his theory of an inefficient top layer of public servants.

"The prime minister has always had a view that the public servants' performance is bad or underperforming but I believe that if he has some plans to improve the public service and come and implement that, then we can see that there is a reason for his complaint."

Mele 'Amanaki said Mr Pohiva had cast a shadow over the entire service with his comments and he needed to be more specific.