26 Apr 2012

New Tonga government newspaper to become self-financing

4:25 pm on 26 April 2012

The director of Tonga's ministry of information says it is planned that a new government newspaper will eventually become a self-financing public enterprise.

Paula Ma'u says the yet to be named paper is essentially a relaunch of the former government paper, the Tonga Chronicle.

Control of that title has just returned to the government after several years of management by the Taimi o Tonga network, but it hasn't been published for a nearly a year.

Mr Ma'u says with parliament considering freedom of information legislation, a special Cabinet committee has decided that a government newspaper is the best medium to reach the people.

"Not only releasing the government news but also government's public notices, of course views and opinions. And also there are some legal requirements - for example the land notices from the Ministry of Lands and Survey, which are required to be published under a government newspaper."

The director of information in Tonga, Paula Ma'u.

There are four another weekly newspapers published in Tonga.