Tonga's Parliament Renames Several Government Ministries

The Legislative Assembly of Tonga has passed the Public Service Amendment Bill 2026, updating the names of several government ministries to reflect changes approved by Cabinet. Key changes include formally recognizing the Ministry of Tourism as a separate entity, renaming the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources, and reverting the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development to its former name, the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation and Labour. These amendments aim to align with recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts during its scrutiny of the Budget Estimates.