Tonga's Prime Minister has called for an overhaul of the way the funding from the government to sporting organisations is handled.
'Akilisi Pohiva met with the new Executive Board Members of Tonga's Amateur Sports Association and National Olympic Committee last week.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the current funding arrangements and said many sports got a lot of money for tours and other expenses but with no proper planning, training and preparation, and often with disastrous results.
The Tongan Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva Photo: RNZ / Alex Perrottet
Mr Pohiva said that the best way forward was for TASANOC to handle all the funding requests, set the benchmarks and criteria for allocation of government funding, and make the recommendations.
Approved funding would then be channeled through TASANOC which would be responsible for the accounting, auditing and reporting on those funds.
TASANOC President Lord Tupou said the board welcomed the new policy and would implement it with due care and diligence.
