National Workshop on strengthening the capacity of the private sector to participate in pursuing Tonga’s energy targets

Nuku’alofa,Tonga, 30^th April 2019. A national workshop to strengthen the capacity of the private sector to participate in pursuing Tonga’s energy targets was successfully conducted at the Tungi Collonade, Nuku'alofa.

Jointly organized by the key national agencies on Tonga’s energy sector [Department of Energy-MEIDECCC, Tonga Power Ltd and the Tonga Electricity Commission] and supported by the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE), the workshop attracted more than 30 participants from the private sector and business community, private consultants, students and instructors from the Tonga Institute of Science and Technology as well as representatives of the development partners.

The workshop aimed at:

1. Raising the awareness about the business and employment opportunities in the local energy sector
2. Strengthening the private sector’s capacity in preparing proposals / bids and managing contracts  
3. Identifying follow up actions to raise the professionalism and compliance in the industry 

Solomone Fifita, the Manager of the PCREEE noted that “The investment and business opportunities are there and has been demonstrated to you today. We have demonstrated to you the need and how to be competitive and we are standing by you to provide the necessary back-up support to realize these opportunities.”

We need to regularly have forums like these where members of Tonga’s private sector and the technical institutes are informed of the future directions in the energy sector so that the technical institutes can mould students with the skills and expertise to match the technological developments in the industry, said Koli Moa Kakala, the Deputy Chair of the Tonga Electrical Contractors’ Association.  

Among the identified follow up actions are the need to provide some training on preparing competitive, compliant and value for money tenders, the need to bring the support to the private sector down to the micro level and the support to integrate renewable energy to the syllabus of the technical institutes.

The workshop was opened by Mr Setiaia Chen, the CEO of the Tonga Power Ltd who stressed the urgent need for the private sector to be prepared as Tonga accelerates its effort to achieve its 50% renewable energy generation target by 2020.

Mr Setitaia Chen, CEO of Tonga Power Limited at the workshop opening address..

Teachers and students from Tonga Institute of Science and Technology (TIST).

Participants from the Department of Energy-MEIDECC, TPL, private sector and business community, private consultants,

PCREEE is part of a wider post-2015 multi-stakeholder and triangular partnership, directed to implement the SAMOA Pathway, the SIDS DOCK Goal of 25-50-25, SDG 7, SDG 9 and the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement (SDG 13). PCREEE aims to improve access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services, energy security and mitigation of negative externalities of the energy system (e.g. local pollution and GHG emissions) by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in PICTs.

The partnership aims to create a network of regional sustainable energy centres for SIDS in Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean. Established under the network are the:

1. Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE)- http://www.ccreee.org/

2. East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) - http://www.eacreee.org/

3. ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)- http://www.ecreee.org/

4. Himalayan Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (HCREEE) - http://www.hcreee.org/

5. Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) - http://www.pcreee.org/

6. Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Arab Region (RCREEE) - http://www.rcreee.org/

7. South African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) - http://www.sacreee.org/

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