Tonga

No amount/estimate: Monetary policy, which has been accommodative given low inflation and slow economic recovery, remained on hold.

(i) No amount/estimate: The Government of Tonga announced a deferral of retirement contributions and hardship allowances for laid-off employees (up to 3 months)

(i) Tax and duty relief during the pandemic.

(i) Needs-based financial assistance for individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(i) Assistance with the payment of utility bills by public enterprises.

(ii) This covers two-thirds of the TOP60 million Stimulus Package in Measure 5A under Health. The measures undertaken are separately presented in 5B1-5B5, but with no amounts disclosed by the Government.

(i) 6 April 2020, USD0.47 million - Grant 0693-TON: COVID-19 Emergency Response (Additional Financing); (ii) 15 April 2020, USD0.08 million announced by the ADB as part of the Strengthening Social Protection in the Pacific program. On 24 July 2020, additional USD0.15 million co-financing under the same program; (iii) 15 April 2020, ADB today announced the release of a USD6 million (TOP13.9 million) grant from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 2) to help finance the Government of Tonga’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; (iv) 24 April 2020, USD0.13 million allocated by the ADB as additional funding to Tonga under the Regional Project on Developing the Pacific Health Sector; (v) USD0.46 million allocation for TA9950-REG: Regional Support to Address the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Potential Outbreaks of Other Communicable Diseases. As of 30 January 2021, this has been increased to USD0.60 million. As of 8 October 2021, this has again been increased to USD 0.66 million; (vi) 5 June 2020, USD0.14 million in financing under the Pacific Economic Management, Phase 3 project; (vii) 25 June 2020, USD12.2 million in ADF grant under the Strengthening Macroeconomic Resilience Program, with another USD6.92 million co-financed by Australia and New Zealand; (viii) 10 August 2020, USD0.17 million under the regional project, Knowledge and Support Technical Assistance for Strengthening Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices and Hygiene Behavioral Change in the Pacific; (ix) 12 August 2020, USD0.06 million under the regional project, Support for Gender Sensitive Responses to COVID-19 in the Pacific Developing Member Countries; (x) 14 December 2020, USD10 million under the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 3); (xi) 17 December 2020, USD0.25 million from the regional project, Supporting Recovery by Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Pacific from the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic; (xii) 23 April 2021, USD5.5 million from the regional project, Systems Strengthening for Effective Coverage of New Vaccines in the Pacific Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (Additional Financing). This was committed on 20 May 2021; (xiii) 23 June 2021, USD0.06 million under the project: Advancing the Transformative Gender Equality Agenda in a Post-COVID-19 Asia and the Pacific; (xiv) 5 November 2021, USD5 million under the project, Economic Recovery Support Program. [update]

(i) 12 May 2020, USD8.4 million funding from the World Bank to strengthen resilience and fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic; (ii) 20 May 2020, AUD10.5 million in quick financial support from Australia to support Pacific countries hit by both the recent cyclone and pandemic; (iii) 5 June 2020, USD2.89 million equivalent grant to Tonga to to improve the climate resilience of the transport sector, and in the event of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, to provide an immediate response to the Eligible Crisis or Emergency. The financing provided under this project will support urgent needs created by the COVID-19 crisis; (iv) 16 December 2020, USD30 million funding from the World Bank in support for Tonga's most vulnerable, under the Tonga: Supporting Recovery After Dual Shocks Development Policy Operation. It will support Tongan businesses, workers and vulnerable households to recover from the dual shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent typhoons; (v) 25 January 2021, USD9.95 million Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) from the IMF as emergency financing and debt relief; (vi) 11 June 2021, Tonga has received AUD12 million from the Government of Australia to help the country deal with the economic effects of COVID-19; (vii) 13 July 2021, Japan has announced that it will provide a total of 11 million vaccines to recepient countries, including Tonga.