"Temporary migration programs for unskilled workers are increasingly being proposed as a way to both relieve labor shortages in developed countries and aid development in sending countries without entailing many of the costs associated with permanent migration. New Zealand's new Recognized...

In 2012 Tropical Cyclone (TC) Evan offered a distressing reminder of Samoa s exposure to natural hazards. TC Evan came only three years after the earthquake and tsunami of 2009, which affected 2.5 percent of the country s population, causing 143 fatalities and associated economic losses...

Tonga is an archipelago composed of 172 islands spread across a combined land and sea area of 72,000sq.km. According to the 2011 census, Tonga had a population of 103, 252 people spread across 36 of the 172 islands. A population scattered so widely across such a large area can pose logistical...

The World Bank's 11 Pacific Island member countries are a diverse group in terms of economic and social conditions. Five are least developed countries, with annual per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as low as US$ 700, while in some of the territories average incomes are comparable to those...

This review aims to identify ways of improving the structure and efficiency of the transport sector in Tonga. It seeks to provide a coherent and consistent analysis and evaluation, recommending appropriate directions and actions; identifies institutional structures for policy and planning,...

This procurement assessment in Tonga: (a) reviews existing policies, procedures and practices followed for procurement, with focus on Bank-financed projects and their impact on procurement performance of the Bank portfolio, and recommends measures to improve the procurement performance; and (b)...

Cyclone Evan hit Samoa in December 2012 and caused immense damage and significant losses. The value of durable physical assets across all economic and social sectors destroyed by Evan is estimated at Samoa tala (SAT) 235.7 million, equivalent to United States (U.S.) 103.3 million dollars. It has...

This note provides guidance on planning, prioritizing, and accessing appropriate capacity for Public Financial Management (PFM) reform in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). It is intended for use by government officials, donor agencies, and consultants. It complements, and is consistent with,...