Nuku’alofa, TONGA- A reported Cabinet decision to lease a parcel of land in central Nukuʻalofa to foreign commercial bank MBF for its new office has raised questions over land ownership and the authority of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Minister of Lands and Survey to approve the transaction.
The land is located between the former Ministry of Education Office and the Tonga Development Bank. According to information followed up by 88.1 FM – Letio ʻa e Kakai Tonga, the Palace’s land representative maintains that the parcel belongs to His Majesty King Tupou VI’s personal estate and is not Government land.
The representative reportedly questions the Government’s authority to lease the property to a foreign commercial enterprise if it forms part of the King’s private estate.
However, 88.1 FM’s morning news follow-up reporting indicates that Cabinet approval has reportedly been granted, the lease registered, and MBF Bank is proceeding with preparations to survey the site and plan construction of its new office.
The apparent progress of the project raises a fundamental question: On what legal authority was the lease approved and registered if ownership of the land is disputed?
If the parcel belongs to the King’s private estate, the legal basis for the Government’s involvement requires clarification. If it is Government land, the relevant title and records should establish that ownership and the authority to lease it.
Tonga Chronicle will seek official responses from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Lands and Survey, the Palace’s land representative and MBF Bank regarding the land title, Cabinet decision, registration of the lease and legal authority for the transaction.
Who is right—the Palace’s land representative, who says the land belongs to the King, or the Government, whose reported decision has allowed the lease to proceed?
The answer must be established through official land records, the lease documents and the relevant legal authority—not assumption.
