Roads reconstructed with China loan

By Tevita Motulalo

THERE are now completed sections of roads in Nuku’alofa reconstructed with a RMB 291 million loan from China.

China’s Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr. Wang Donghua officially handed over to Deputy Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu three completed sections of the 64 road segments throughout Tonga reconstructed with the loan.

He commended the initiative- the “National Road Improvement Project”- will assist the economic recovery of Tonga through safer and quicker access for business and customers, but also through the provision of jobs and activity by the project itself.

Mr. Wang says China has engaged in extensive road construction in the last thirty years, and was one of the key contributions to its economic development.

He says that like China, Tonga is a developing country.

About 130 km of roads throughout Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai, and ‘Eua is to be reconstructed using the loan, and set to be completed by 2013.

Wang says he hopes major infrastructure developments like the NRIP, will benefit Tonga as it did China.

Hon. Vaipulu responded, “The project will continue to foster the warm relations between the two countries. We are looking forward for closer and long term cooperation.”

The main contractor for NRIP is China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

CCECC Director for the NRIP, Mr. Qi Lu says his corporation’s policy is to involve as much ground elements as possible in the project.

He says about 75% of the labour force for the project is local supplemented with workers from China, and 80% of the materials used are also of local origin.

“The other 20% comes from New Zealand and Australia,” Qi told the Tonga Chronicle.

The National Road Improvement Project was initiated in 2007 and agreed upon in 2008.

The loan was signed between China EXIM Bank and Ministry of Finance, and the groundbreaking, were both held in January last year.