Tonga MPs urged to be business savvy

Transcript

A Tonga business chief says it is vital that at least some of the incoming MPs are savvy business people.

Tonga's economy has struggled for years and it faces significant debts.

The country goes to the polls on November the 27th and the deputy chair of the Chamber of Commerce, Aloma Johansson, says it is important that candidates understand the challenges the country faces.

ALOMA JOHANSSON: One hopes that they have considered quite seriously the economic issues and how it is that they would make it better for Tonga in light of what has happened to the economy in Tonga and globally. We can't expect economists or accountants, we are looking for some people who have just lived in Tonga to realise the challenges that there are and hoping that just the things about government to continue to support and encourage private sector businesses.

DON WISEMAN: Among the people you've got lining up, a smaller number than in the past, it's a small country, you would know whether or not they're the people who are of this calibre.

AJ: There are some. We have a couple of quite savvy business people and we have the Auditor General who is also running for parliament as well. So there are some people there that probably would be considered to be savvy enough even though they might not be economically and financially knowledgeable but be able to use the tools that they've used in their own professions, like some of them are lawyers. And some of them have been engaged with the community so understand the challenges there are for the people of Tonga. Having said that, everything really depends on how we as a voting population understand why it is we should put the correct people into government and not be emotionally based, but rather be thinking seriously about you know, whether a person can represent and actually do something for this country and turn it around economically as well as everything else socially, politically, and keep it going at a good level.

DW: Ok let's say you get those people in parliament, what is it that they need to do?

AJ: Well, do their homework for start and find out, at least if they're going to go in as parliamentarians, understand what it is that failed and hopefully learn from these things. And basically what it is, it's about communicating with the people of Tonga, with those who have elected them into parliament, understand what the challenges are, not because what they think the challenges are, but what the people perceive the challenges are. And be able to put this all together and contextualise it into a workable solution in terms of encouraging investment, for instance. But doing everything with integrity.