Siosiua_'Utoikamanu

Siosiua ʻUtoikamanu

Siosiua ʻUtoikamanu

Tongan politician

Siosiua Tuitalukua Tupou ʻUtoikamanu is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He was Tonga's Minister of Finance from 2001 to 2008.

Quick Facts Minister of Finance, Prime Minister ...

ʻUtoikamanu was governor of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga from 1991 to 2003.[1] He was appointed as Minister of Finance in a cabinet reshuffle in January 2001.[2] Shortly after being appointed he faced an impeachment motion in parliament over the loss of money from the Tonga Trust Fund.[3] In his role as head of customs, he was responsible for the Tongan government's efforts to ban the independent newspaper the Times of Tonga.[4]

As Finance Minister he pursued a program of economic reform, including the introduction of a goods and services tax.[5] In 2005 efforts to reform the public service by introducing new pay scales with increases only for senior public servants led to a six week long strike which shut down and threatened to topple the government.[6] The strike resulted in 60 to 80 percent pay increases for most public servants.[7] ʻUtoikamanu responded to the resulting budget pressures by proposing further privatisations[8] and public service cuts.[9] Following the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots he negotiated a loan from China to rebuild the city's CBD.[10] The loan later led to significant controversy, with a parliamentary committee finding it was illegal and that the funds had been misappropriated.[11][12] He was forced to resign as a Minister in February 2008 after refusing to cooperate with other members of the Cabinet.[13][14]

After leaving politics ʻUtoikamanu served as director of the Pacific Islands Centre for Public Administration at the University of the South Pacific.[15] In July 2016 he was elected to the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority.[16] On 26 May 2022 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Tonga.[17]

References

  1. [1]
    "Governor Kioa's Welcoming Speech on the 30th Anniversary of the NRBT - National Reserve Bank of Tonga". www.reservebank.to.
  2. [2]
    "Tonga's PM announces cabinet changes". Saipan Tribune. 29 January 2001. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. [3]
    "The Tongan Kingdom's misplaced millions". New Zealand Herald. 26 September 2001. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. [4]
    "Taimi O Tonga hearing over ban to start Friday". RNZ. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. [5]
    "Tonga looking at sweeping tax changes". RNZ. 9 May 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. [6]
    Heather E. Young Leslie (2007). "Tonga" (PDF). The Contemporary Pacific. 19 (1): 262–276. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. [7]
    "Tongans agree to end strike". New Zealand Herald. 4 September 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  8. [8]
    "Tonga considers selling Westpac stake to balance budget". RNZ. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  9. [9]
    "Tonga public servants cut by a third". RNZ. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Tonga and China formalise post-riot loan agreement". RNZ. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. [11]
    "Tonga report claims loan for riot rebuild was illegal". RNZ. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  12. [12]
    "Chinese Loan To Rebuild Nukuʻalofa Illegal: Committee". Pacific Islands Report. 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Tongan finance minister forced to resign". RNZ. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  14. [14]
    "TONGA MINISTER NO LONGER ANSWERS ONLY TO KING". Pacific Islands Report. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021.
  15. [15]
    "PICPA facilitates PFM Reform Roadmap of Tonga". University of the South Pacific. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Former Tongan Minister of Finance, Siosiua ʻUtoikamanu elected as member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority". Tonga Broadcasting Commission. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  17. [17]
    "King appoints two new Privy Council members". Matangi Tonga. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
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