Reserve Bank’s Assistance to Government
At its Board of Directors meeting on the 26 March 2020, the Reserve Bank agreed to provide financial assistance to Government in its effort to provide financial relief to the sectors affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Commercial Banks
To continue to support the economy through this COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor met with the heads of the commercial banks on the 25th March 2020 and confirmed the following;
- The delivery of banking and other financial services will be enhanced to comply with the national state of emergency declaration as announced by the Government, such as social distancing and limiting crowd to avoid mass gatherings. Signs and directions will be provided by the financial institutions staff at their premises.
- The Banks will continue to support businesses and households affected during this pandemic. The banks are currently processing customers requests for assistance, especially with the Tourism Sector and other affected sectors in the economy. The banks are also assisting individuals who have lost their employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the general public, as well as the businesses, are encouraged to approach your respective banks if you require assistance on your current financial obligations to the banks.
- As agreed with the commercial banks, it is possible to waive both principal and interest repayments for businesses in the tourism sector on a case by case basis. This request to waive both principal and interest repayments by the Tonga Tourism Association was raised at its meeting with the Reserve Bank Governor on the 23rd of March 2020.
- Commercial banks will continue to provide essential banking services such as access to cash (withdrawals) and deposits as well as facilitating payments both domestically and internationally throughout this pandemic.
Non-Banks
All non-bank financial institutions, specifically Foreign Exchange Dealers, are expected to strictly adhere to all Government & the Ministry of Health requirements which may impact their operating hours and capacity to deliver full services to the general public.
The Reserve Bank stands ready to support these non-bank financial institutions should they wish to continue providing services to the general public. At the same time, they will comply with all legal and regulatory requirements.
All foreign exchange dealers’ customers are encouraged to contact the authorised foreign exchange dealers to confirm their operating hours and available services. Some of these foreign exchange dealers’ services are suspended due to border closures such as foreign currency note conversions and their overseas agents due to the lock down overseas. The authorised foreign exchange dealers contact numbers are listed below.
| Authorised Foreign Exchange Dealers | Contact Numbers |
| 1. FEXCO Tonga Limited | 24-345 |
| 2. Rowena Financial Services | 24-426 |
| 3. T&T Money Transfer | 28-819 |
| 4. KlickEx Trading Limited | 22-285 |
| 5. Frank Money Transfer | 25-553 |
| 6. Manatu 'Ofa Money Transfer | 22-557 |
| 7. S.A.V Money Transfer | 26-089 |
| 8. Jones Travel Limited | 26-110 |
| 9. Digicel Mobile Money | 875-2007 |
| 10. Island Flexi Transfer | 23-760 |
| 11. Tonga Post Limited | 21-700 |
The Reserve Bank will continue to monitor and assess the coronavirus impact on the financial system and the economy. The general public will be kept informed of its policy measures to maintain financial and monetary stability.
‘E fakahoko ‘e he Pangikē Puleʹ ha tokoni fakapa’anga ki he Pule’angaʹ pea mo tokoni ki hono fakapapau’i ‘oku lahi fe’unga ‘a e ngaahi pa’anga ngāue ‘a e ngaahi kautaha fakapa’angaʹ
‘Oku hokohoko atu pē ‘a e tokoni ‘a e Pangikē Pule´ ki he Pule’anga´ mo e ngaahi kautaha fakapa’anga´ ke fakapapau’i ‘oku nau mateuteu ke nau malava ‘o matatali ha ngaahi uesia ‘e malava ke hoko mei he mafola ko ia ‘a e COVID-19.
Tokoni ‘a e Pangikē Pule ki he Pule’anga
‘I he fakataha ‘a e Poate ‘a e Kau Talēkita ‘a e Pangikē Pule´ ‘i he ‘aho 26 ‘o Ma’asi 2020, na’a nau tali ai ke fakahoko ha tokoni fakapa’anga ki he Pule’anga´ ke poupou ki he’enau ngāue ki hono tokoni’i fakapa’anga ‘a e ngaahi sekitoa ‘oku uesia mei he mafola ‘a e COVID-19.
Ngaahi Pangikē Fakakomēsiale
‘Oku hokohoko atu pē e ngāue ke tokoni’i e ’ekonōmika ‘a e fonua´ lolotonga ‘a e mafola fakamāmani lahi ‘a e COVID-19. Na’e fakataha ‘a e Kōvana ‘o e Pangikē Pule´ mo e Kau Taki ‘o e ngaahi Pangikē Fakakomēsiale´ ‘i he ‘aho 25 ‘o Ma’asi 2020 ‘o fakapapau’i ai ‘a e ngaahi me’a ´ni;
- ‘Oku liliu ‘a e founga fakahoko ngāue ‘a e ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´ ‘o fakatatau ki he Tu’utu’uni Fakapule’anga ki he Tu’unga Fakafokifaa´, ‘o kau ai ‘a e tauhi hoto vāmama’o mei ha tokotaha kehe, fakangatangata ‘a e tokolahi ‘o e kakai ‘i ha feitu’u, pea fakamama’o mei he ngaahi fakataha’anga fakatokolahi´. ‘E fokotu’u ‘e he ngaahi pangikē mo ‘enau kau ngāue´ ha ngaahi faka’ilonga mo ha ngaahi fakahinohino ‘i honau ngaahi ‘api ngāue´ ke muimui ki ai ‘a e kakai´.
- ‘Oku hokohoko atu pē hono tokoni’i ‘e he ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´ ‘a e ngaahi pisinisi mo e kakai ‘o e fonua´ ‘oku uesia ‘i he mafola fakamāmani lahi ‘a e mahaki ko 'eni´. ‘Oku ‘osi kamata ngāue ‘a e ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´ ki he ngaahi kole tokoni ‘a ‘enau kau kasitomā ‘o tautautefito ki he sekitoa ‘o e Takimamata, mo e ngaahi sekitoa ‘i he ’ekonōmika´ kuo ‘osi uesia´. ‘Oku toe tokoni’i foki ‘e he ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´ ‘a kinautolu kuo mole ‘enau ngaahi ngāue makatu’unga mei he mafola fakamāmani lahi ‘o e COVID-19. ‘Oku faka’ai’ai heni ‘a e kakai ‘o e fonua´ pehē foki ki he ngaahi pisinisi´ ke nau fakafetu’utaki ki he‘enau ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´ ‘okapau ‘oku ke fiema’u ha tokoni felāve’i mo ho’o ngaahi totongi noo´.
- Hangē ko ia ne ‘osi fakahā ‘e he ngaahi pangikē fakakomēsiale´, ‘oku malava pē ke toloi ‘a e ngaahi totongi nō pehē ki he ngaahi totongi tupu, ‘a e ngaahi pisinisi ‘i he sekitoa Takimamata´ ‘a ia ‘oku uesia ‘e he kolona vailasiʹ ‘o fakatatau pē ki he fiema’u mo e tu’unga ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e kasitoma´ takitaha. Ko e kole mavahe foki eni na’e fakahoko ‘e he Kautaha Takimamata ‘o Tonga´ ‘i he‘enau fakataha mo e Kōvana ‘o e Pangikē Pule´ ‘i he ‘aho 23 Ma’asi 2020.
- ‘Oku kei fakahoko pē ‘e he ngaahi pangikē ‘enau ngaahi ngāue fakapangikē angamaheni´ hangē ko e toho mo e fakahū pa’anga´, pea pehē foki ki hono fakahoko ‘o e ngaahi totongi pa’anga fakalotofonua mo fakatu’apule’anga ‘i he lolotonga ‘a e taimi ko eni´.
Kautaha Fakapa’anga ‘Ikai ko ha Pangikē
Ko e ngaahi kautaha fakapa’anga ‘ikai ko ha pangikē΄ kae tautautefito ki he ngaahi kautaha fehū’aki pa’anga muli΄, ‘oku nau kei fakahoko fatongia pē ‘o fakatatau ki he ngaahi tu’utu’uni ‘a e Pule’anga΄ mo e Potungāue Mo’ui΄. Ka ‘oku lava heni ke ne uesia ‘a ‘enau ngaahi houa ngāue΄ pea mo ‘enau malava ke fakahoko kakato honau ngaahi fatongia ki he fonua΄.
‘Oku tu’u mateuteu pē ‘a e Pangikē Pule΄ ke tokoni’i ‘a e ngaahi kautaha fakapa’anga ‘ikai ko ha pangikee΄ ‘okapau te nau kei fiema’u ke hokohoko atu ‘a ‘enau fakahoko fatongia ki he kakai ‘o e fonua΄. ‘I he taimi tatau, ‘oku kei fiema’u pē ke nau tauhi e ngaahi tu’utu’uni fakalao΄.
‘Oku fanongonongo atu ai heni ki he kau kasitomā kotoa pē ‘a e ngaahi kautaha fehū’aki pa’anga muli΄ ke mou fetu’utaki ki he ngaahi kautaha fehū’aki pa’anga muli΄ ke nau fakapapau’i atu ‘a ‘enau ngaahi houa fakahoko fatongia΄. ‘Oku ‘i ai e konga ‘o e fakahoko fatongia ‘o e ngaahi kautaha fehū’aki pa’anga muli´ kuo ta’ofi makatu’unga ‘i he fakangatangata ‘i he fefolau’aki΄ hangē ko e fakafetongi pa’anga muli΄ pea mo ‘enau ngaahi kautaha fakafofonga ‘i tu’apule’anga΄ koe’uhi ko e fakangatangata ‘i he ngaahi fonua muli΄. Ko e ngaahi fika telefoni eni ‘o e ngaahi kautaha fehū’aki pa’anga muli kuo ‘osi fakamafai’i΄.
| Kautaha Fehū’aki Pa’anga Muli kuo fakamafai’i | Fika Fetu’utaki |
| 1. FEXCO Tonga Limited | 24-345 |
| 2. Rowena Financial Services | 24-426 |
| 3. T&T Money Transfer | 28-819 |
| 4. KlickEx Trading Limited | 22-285 |
| 5. Frank Money Transfer | 25-553 |
| 6. Manatu 'Ofa Money Transfer | 22-557 |
| 7. S.A.V Money Transfer | 26-089 |
| 8. Jones Travel Limited | 26-110 |
| 9. Digicel Mobile Money | 875-2007 |
| 10. Island Flexi Transfer | 23-760 |
| 11. Tonga Post Limited | 21-700 |
‘E hokohoko atu ai pē foki mo hono siofi mo sivi’i ‘e he Pangikē Pule΄ ‘a e uesia ‘o e vailasi kolona΄ ‘i he tafa’aki fakapa’anga fakalūkufua΄ pea mo e faka‘ekonōmika΄. ‘E hokohoko atu ai pē mo hono līpooti ki he kakai ‘o e fonua΄ ‘a e ngaahi fokotu’utu’u ngāue ke pukepuke e tu’unga ma’uma’uluta fakapa’anga ‘o e fonua΄.
