Who we are

The Ministry of Public Enterprises was established in October of 2006 and is now on its 18th years of operation.

The Ministry of Public Enterprises (MPE) is among the few new Ministries set up by the Government of Tonga (GOT) to carry forward its various reform programs.

The reform programs permeate the social, economical and polotical arena. The Ministry of Public Enterprises focuses in economical reforms particularly in the attempt to better utilize public resources in creating wealth and adding value to service provision. At the same time, the Ministry is integrating its policy with the GOT overall emphasis on a private sector-led economy.

Our Mission Statement / Who we are

  • Assist all PEs to become profitable and sustainable & contribute to Government Revenue
  • Ensure PEs are serving and meeting the needs of all Tongans. 
  • Prepare PEs for eventual restructure or reforms when required. 
  • Ensure PEs outcomes and direction are in line with government priorities. 

Our Vision, Our Values

VISION:

– to be a leading organization in promoting, enabling & encouraging outstanding performance of the Public Enterprises.

CORE VALUES:

– The following core values serve to constantly guide both the employee and the ministry in achieving their mutual goals, in a manner that is based on an ethical and ideological framework.

  • Integrity and honesty – building your entire business on the foundation of honesty and integrity goes a long way into building a strong, trusting relationship with its employees, stakeholders and customers.
  • Positive Values – We need to think optimistically about the future direction of the organization, and the overall client base of the organization. We have to serve our clients and customers with a positive attitude.
  • Pride – We have to be proud of ourselves and the Ministry we are working for.
  • Support and collaboration – we need to be supportive of our customers and to work collaboratively with our other stakeholders.
  • Empowerment – we must empower our staff and our stakeholders and customers to achieve their goals and contribute to ours.
  • Service and professionalism – we must have a professional approach to our service provision and our work in general.
  • Respect – respecting all employees means respecting their individual human rights and privacy, eliminating all kinds and forms of discrimination, whether based on religion, belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or physical disability.
  • Innovation (no imitation) – employees in such ministries are encouraged to be dynamic and come up with innovative ideas that can translate into successful products/services for the Ministry.
  • Drive – ministries that have this principle as one of their core values try to provide a dynamic platform to their employees, where they can explore their creativity and skills and further enhance themselves.

Our Core Responsibilities

  1. Support the Minister in strengthening the implementation of the Public Enterprises Act 2002, in his role as shareholder.
  2. Gather non-financial and financial information on all public enterprises and effectively monitor the database of their financial performances.
  3. Develop, in consultation with other departments, appropriate policies for consideration by Government, with a view of improving the financial performances and management of Government business investments.
  4. Develop and maintain an effective monitoring and assessment capability in respect of the financial position, performance and prospects of public enterprises and government trading activities. Recommend corrective actions where necessary and also providing advice to the Minister and Secretary for Finance. 
  5. Review of the Business Plan, annual and half year reports from all public enterprises and also making periodic reports on financial performances of these public enterprises.
  6. Evaluate public enterprises requests for borrowing and loan guarantees in coordination with Debt Unit of Ministry of Finance.
  7. Assist with corporatization of government trading activities and also managing privatizations.
  8. Assist with the processes for appointment of directors and also advise the Minister on the process for approval of appointment of the CEO.

The main objectives of these core functions or responsibilities are to:

  • add value to the GOT investment
  • Reduce GOT losses in the Public Enterprises
  • Contribute to the focus and the direction of the GOT Strategic Development Plans