Most Haʻapai adults cut off from financial system, says new Reserve Bank report

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Most of the adult residents of Ha’apai are completely cut off from Tonga’s financial system, according to a Reserve Bank report.

The figure emerged during a national survey of how people in the kingdom’s financial system work.

Run by the Reserve Bank and the Pacific Financial Inclusion Program, the Financial Services Demand Side Survey showed that just over a third of Tongan adults are completely cut off from the financial system.

Alongside Ha’apai residents, those most likely to be excluded from the financial system included low income and casual income earners.

The survey’s other major findings were that fewer than half of Tongan adults had a bank account.

It found that 14% of those surveyed only had access to limited services through savings clubs, shop credit, moneylenders, or hire purchases.

Nearly three quarters of those surveyed said they received remittances in the previous 12 months.

Most Tongan adults, with the exception of public servants, are paid in cash and shop and pay bills in cash.

Nearly two thirds of adults said they saved towards everyday expenses and social obligations, rather than for long term goals.

Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu have already conducted similar surveys.

The Tongan report put the kingdom on a par with other Pacific nations, particularly Samoa.

The main points

  • Most of the adult residents of Ha’apai are completely cut off from Tonga’s financial system, according to a Reserve Bank report.
  • The figure emerged during a national survey of how people in the kingdom’s financial system.
  • The report showed that just over a third of Tongan adults were completely cut off from the financial system.
  • Alongside Ha’apai residents, those most likely to be excluded from the financial system included low income and casual income earners.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Ko e tokolahi taha ʻo e kakai lalahi ʻo Haʻapaí ʻoku ʻikai ke nau ngāueʻaki ʻa e founga fehūʻaki fakapaʻanga angamahení hangē ko e fakahū pangikē ʻenau paʻangá, fakatatau ʻeni ki ha līpooti ʻa e Pangikē Pule ʻa Tongá.

    Ko ha fika eni ne maʻu lolotonga ha savea fakafonua ki he anga hono ngāueʻaki ʻe he kakai e sisitemi fakapaʻangá fakapangikeé.

    Naʻe fakalele ʻeni ʻe he Pangikē Pulé mo e Pacific Financial Inclusion Program peá ne mahino ai ne laka hake ʻi he vahe tolu ʻe tahá ʻa e kakai lalahi ʻi Tonga ne ʻikai pe ke nau ngāueʻaki ʻe kinautolu ʻa e founga fehūʻaki fakapaʻangá ni.

    Ne tuʻutatau ʻa e kau Haʻapaí mo kinautolu ne siʻi ʻenau maʻu ha paʻanga hū mai pe kinautolu ko ē maʻu vāhenga lauʻahó.

    Ko e ngaahi meʻa lalahi kehe ne ʻilo ʻi he savea ko ʻení ko e siʻi ange he vaeuá ʻa e kakai lalahi ʻo Tongá kuo ʻi ai haʻanau ʻakauni pangikē.

    Ne ʻilo foki ko e pēseti ʻe 14 ʻo kinautolu ne saveaʻí ʻoku nau ngāueʻaki e ngaahi founga levaʻi paʻanga hangē ko e lī paʻanga fakakalapu, ko e fakamoʻua ʻi he fale koloá, nō mei ha kautaha pe ko e fakamoʻua ha koloa kae toki tā fakafoki.

    Meimei ko e vahe fā ʻe tolu ʻo kinautolu ne saveaʻí ne nau pehē ne nau maʻu ha paʻanga mei muli ʻi he māhina ʻe 12 ki muʻá.

    Tukukehe ʻa e kau ngāue fakapuleʻangá ko e tokolahi taha ʻo e kakai lalahi ʻi Tongá ko ʻenau vahé, fakataú mo e totongi honau ngaahi moʻuá ʻoku ngāueʻaki pe ʻa e paʻanga kesi

    Ko e meimei ko e vahe tolu ʻe ua ʻo e kakai lalahí ne nau pehē ne nau fakahaofi ʻenau sēniti ʻoku maʻú ki heʻenau ngaahi fakamole fakaʻahó mo e ngaahi kavenga kae ʻikai ki ha ngaahi taumuʻa lele lōloa.

    Ne ʻosi fai ʻi Fisi, ʻOtu Motu Solomoné, Haʻamoa mo Vanuatu ʻa e savea natula tatau.
    Ko e līpooti ko ʻeni fekauʻaki mo Tongá ʻoku tatau ia mo e ngaahi fonua kehe he Pasifikí tautefito ki Haʻamoa.