13 Dec 2006

Tonga in talks with donor to rebuild Nuku'alofa

3:36 pm on 13 December 2006

The Tongan government, with the help of international donors, is to set up a mission for the recovery of businesses after the riots last month.

The damage to businesses and to the infrastructure from the riot has been put at more than 200 million US dollars.

"Representatives from AusAid, NZAid, the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation are holding talks with the Tongan government ."

Our correspondent in Tonga, Mateni Tapueluelu, reports.

The government of Tonga is seeking foreign financial assistance to assist with the rebuilding of Nuku'alofa, because they don't have the money to rebuild it alone. And the business community has been meeting with the government, they have set up about four subcommittees with regards to the restructuring of Nuku'alofa. But there is no final statement as to the result of those meetings yet.

Mateni Tapueluelu reporting.