The Legislative Assembly of Tonga will reconvene today after a month-long break. The session was adjourned on June 26 following the approval of the 2024/2025 Budget Estimates. The session’s agenda includes government bills, committee reports, and government ministry annual reports.
The total budget for the financial year 2024-2025, amounts to $899.2 million pa’anga. This budget includes provisions for free schooling for government students from Form 2 to Form 7 to reduce dropouts, a 5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for civil servants, and increased assistance to church schools, except Liahona High School, by 10%. Wages for senior citizens increases by 10%, and the qualifying age lowered from 70 to 67.
The current budget, funded by both the government ($452.3 million pa’anga) and donor partners ($446.9 million pa’anga), marks a balanced budget, an improvement from previous deficits.