30 Aug 2013

Tonga energy road map agency says auditing criticism wrong

6:13 pm on 30 August 2013

The director of the Tonga Energy Road Map Implementing Unit,'Inoke Finau Vala, says the auditor - general, Pohiva Tui'onetoa, believes that the agency is complying with the Public Finance Management Act.

Mr Vala, in a statement, says claims in local media that the agency's financial accounts could not be scrutinised and are out of the reach of the auditor general are wrong.

He says the agency's funding is handled by the donors themselves, and they settle payments according to the terms of contracts that they have signed with the firms involved.

Mr Vala says no project money is being kept or handled by the Tonga Energy Road Map Implementing Unit.