Abstract

The Census is the official count of population and dwellings in Tonga, providing a ‘snapshot’ of the society and its most precious resource, its people, at a point in time. The official reference period of the census was midnight, the 30th of November, 2006.

The census provides a unique source of detailed demographic, social and economic data relating the entire population at a single point in time. Census information is used for policy setting and implementation, research, planning and other decision-making. The census is often the primary source of information used for the allocation of public funding, especially in areas such as health, education and social policy. The main users of this information are the government, local authorities, education facilities (such as schools and tertiary organizations), businesses, community organizations and the public in general.

The 2006 Census was taken under the authority of Section 8 of Statistical Act Chap. 53 of 1978 which empowers the Minister of Finance to make regulations necessary to conduct the population Census. This regulation was approved by the Cabinet and cited as Census Regulation 2006. The Census regulations also indicate that the Government Statistician would be responsible for the administration and completion of the Census. In addition, the regulations enabled the Statistics Department to carry out the necessary activities required to plan, manage and implement all the necessary Census activities.

Census planning and management

From a planning and management perspective, the Census had two main objectives. Firstly, it was to ensure that the process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and disseminating of demographic, economic and social data was conducted in a timely and accurate manner. The development of procedures and processes for the 2006 Census of Population and Housing made use of the lessons learned in previous censuses, and built upon recommendations for improvements.

Secondly, it was a valuable opportunity for building the capacities of employees of the Statistics Department (SD), thus resulting in enhancing the image, credibility and reputation of the Department and at the same time, strengthening its infrastructure. Emphasis was placed on having a senior staff with a wide perspective and leadership qualities. Through the use of vision, planning, coordination, delegation of responsibility and a strong team spirit, the census work was conducted in an effective and efficient manner. Staffs at all levels were encouraged to have an innovative mindset in addressing issues. Incentives for other parties to participate, both within Statistics Department Tonga Tonga 2006 Census of Population and Housing viii and outside the government, were encouraged. As a result, the wider community including donors such as AusAID, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea, that provided the technical assistance and the general public, were able to support the census project.

Extensive and detailed planning is needed to conduct a successful census. Areas that required planning include: enumeration procedures and fieldwork, public communication, data processing and output systems, mapping and the design of census block boundaries, dissemination procedures, content determination and questionnaire development and training. These aspects, and how they interacted with each other, played a crucial role in determining the quality of all of the census outputs. Each phase therefore required careful, methodical planning and testing. The details of such activities, and their implementation and responsibilities were assigned to 5 subcommittees composed of staff members of the SD.

Organizational structure of the Census

A census organizational structure is designed to implement a number of interrelated activities. Each of these activities was assigned to a specific sub-committee. The census manuals provided guidelines on processes, organizational structures, controls for quality assurance and problem solving. The challenge for managers was developing a work environment that enabled census personnel to perform all these tasks with a common goal in mind. Each sub-committee was responsible for its own outputs, and specific decisions for specific situations were delegated to the lowest level possible. Problem situations beyond the scope of the sub-committee were escalated to the next higher level.

The organizational structure of the census was as follows: a) The Steering Committee (consisting of the Head of both Government and nongovernment organizations), chaired by Secretary for Finance with the Government Statistician (GS) as secretary. b) The Census Committee (consisted of all sub-committee leaders plus the GS, and chaired by the Assistant Government Statistician (AGS) who was the officer in charge of all management and planning of the Census 2006 operations. c) There were five Sub-committees (each sub-committee consisted of about 5 members and were chaired by their Sub-committee leader). These committees included: Mapping, Publicity, Fieldwork, Training and Data Processing. In this way, every staff member of the SD was involved with the census operation through their participation on these committees.

The census steering committee was a high level committee that approved and endorsed the plans and activities of the census. Policy issues that needed to be addressed were submitted to the steering committee for approval prior to the census team and sub-committees designation of the activities necessary to address the tasks.

Part of the initial planning of the 2006 Census involved the establishment of a work-plan with specific time frames. This charted all activities that were to be undertaken and, their impact and dependencies on other activities. These time frames were an essential part of the overall exercise, as they provided specific guides to the progress of each area, and alerted subcommittees’ team leaders (TL) to areas where problems existed and needed to be addressed. These also provided the SD staff with a clear indication of where and how their roles impacted the overall Census process.

Monitoring of the timeframe was an essential part of the management of the Census program. Initially, weekly meetings were held which involved the GS, AGS and team leaders (TL) of the Census committee. As the Census projects progressed, the AGS and TL’s met regularly with their sub-committees to report on the progress of each area. Decisions were made on necessary actions in order to meet the designated dates. Potential risks that could negatively affect the deadlines and actions were also considered at these meetings.

For the 5 sub-committees, one of their first tasks was to verify and amend their terms of reference using the “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats” (SWOT) analysis methodology, as it applied to past censuses. Each committee then prepared a work-plan and listed all activities for which that particular sub-committee was responsible. This listing included the assignment of a responsible person, together with the timeline indicating the start and end dates required to complete that particular activity. These work-plans, set up by all the 5 sub-committees, were then used by the AGS to develop a detailed operational plan for all phases of the census, the activities required to complete these phases, start and end dates, the person responsible and the dependencies, - all in a Ghant chart format. These combined work-plans were further discussed and amended in the Census team and reported to the Steering committee on regular basis as required.

Geographic coverage

National coverage, which includes the 5 Divisions and both Urban and Rural Areas of Tonga.

Analysis unit

Individual and Households.

Universe

All individuals in private and institutional households.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

The National Population Census was a complete enumeration census, hence no sampling procedure was employed. A Mapping Sub-committee was formed to ensure complete coverage of the country.

The Mapping Sub-committee

Led by Mr. Winston Fainga'anuku, this committee's mandate was to ensure that good quality maps were produced. The objective was to ensure that the maps provided complete coverage of the country, were designed to accommodate a reasonable workload of one census enumerator and, that geographic identifiers could be used for dissemination purposes by the PopGIS system. Collaborations with the Ministry of Land, Survey and Natural Resources (MLSNR) began in 2004 to ensure that digitized maps for Tonga could be used for 2006 Census. Mr. Fainga'anuku was attached to the MLSNR in April 2005 to assist 'Atelea Kautoke, Samuela Mailau, Lilika and others to complete the task of digitizing the maps for Tonga. In addition, frequent visits by Mr. Scott Pontifex from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea, assisted to ensure that quality digitized maps were prepared. SPC also assisted by lending its digitizer which was used in this mapping project. The staff of the Statistics Department (SD) visited household sites throughout Tongatapu and the main outer islands. This exercise was to redesign the Census Block boundaries by amalgamating or splitting existing census blocks to achieve an average of 50 households per census block. Various updates within the census block maps were made. These included the names of the head of household; roads and other landmarks to ensure that current and accurate information was provided to the enumerators. Reliable maps, both for enumerators and supervisors are necessary ingredients to assist in avoiding any under or over - counting during

Abstract

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) was entrusted with the responsibility to lead the implementation of the agricultural census project with the assistance of the Statistics Department (SD). The Census was conducted under the National Statistics Act 1978 which provides for obligation of the citizens to provide information, confidentiality of information provided and the duties of the census staff. A National Agriculture Census Committee was constituted to guide and supervise the entire census exercise. Technical and financial assistance for undertaking the census was provided by the FAO of the UN. The undertaking of the AC 2001 was envisioned to:

1. provide benchmark or basic data on the structure of agricultural holdings and their main characteristics;
2. use this information to develop a regular system of agricultural statistics;
3. build up some important village and regional level statistics;
4. establish a technical and organizational foundation on which to build up a comprehensive and integrated system of food and agricultural statistics; and
5. provide a frame from which samples can be drawn to study certain aspects of agricultural activities in greater depth.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Agricultural holdings

Universe

The Agricultural Census 2001 was conducted at the household level and a complete enumeration of all households residing in Tonga during the period of the census enumeration. However, households that left for abroad and came back after the period of the census taking and those that were permanently living in other countries were no longer included.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Data appraisal

Data Limitations:

The AC 2001, as stated in one of its objectives, provides basic information on the structure of agricultural holdings in the Kingdom and its characteristics that do not change over a certain period of time. Like any other census and surveys, it has limitations which are enumerated in the following: 1. No data on crop production was included in this census since this information would be better asked in a follow up survey specifically designed for major crops. 2. The level of agricultural activity of a household was determined only through its involvement in the cultivation/growing of crops and size of its agricultural land which should be more than 1/8 of an acre. A household having only livestock or poultry was not considered to have an agricultural holding for this census. 3. The size of the agricultural holding, to be considered as an agricultural holder, was more than 1/8 of an acre. 4. The economic characteristics of the household members were asked for member 15 years old and over as recommended and being done internationally and in other local surveys. 5. Apart from Livestock animals, only information on dogs was included in the Livestock Section of this census. Other domesticated animals such as cats and birds like parrots were excluded. 6. Fisheries Section was asked for only few data items such as main purpose of fishing, type of fishing method engaged in, use of fishing boats and proportion of fish/other sea products sold. 7. The holding and parcels included only those agricultural lands cultivated by the holder whether owned or leased from other households. On the other hand, all lands owned by the holder but rented out to other households whether for a fee or for free were excluded in the Holding Questionnaire and Parcel Questionnaire. 8. Sections on Agricultural Income and Loan, Agro-Forestry on the Holding and Handicraft Making were asked only for agriculturally active households. The nonagricultural and minor agricultural households did not have such information. 9. Questions on the use of fertilizers were answerable only by “Yes” or “No” and questions on agricultural chemicals were the name of chemical and crops it was used on. Quantities on these agricultural inputs were not taken for it is best to include these items in a follow-up survey. 10. Small implements such as knife, spade and other gardening tools were not included in this census since it is assumed that almost all agriculturally active households owned and used such small tools. 11. The section on Agro-forestry was limited to the name of the trees/shrubs and its uses, not on the number of trees for this would create problems on data processing. Hence, a follow-up survey using this information as a frame can be done to get additional information on agro-forestry. 12. The section on Crops Planted and Already Harvested of the Parcel Questionnaire was supposed to be answered by all agricultural holders who answered the section on Parcel Details of the Holding Questionnaire. However, due to memory recall of the respondents, information on this section might have been under reported. 13. The quality of the data collected can be affected by many factors. For example, the complete enumeration and coverage limits the completeness of data, the concepts and interpretation of questionnaires may not be fully understood by enumerators, inadequate supervision and others.

Importance of Agriculture Census (AC)

Agriculture is the predominant activity in the Kingdom of Tonga's economy, contributing more than 17% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012 - 2013. The first ever Agriculture Census of the Kingdom was conducted in 1985. The second Census was conducted in 2001, focusing on land tenure, land utilization, area and production of principal crops, livestock, agricultural implements and equipment, use of fertilizers, etc. including the various agricultural activities in which most of the households were engaged in. Although agriculture is the main factor in the economy of the Kingdom of Tonga, the database in this sector seems to be inadequate. There were quite several surveys conducted for this sector, however, an updated frame (list of holdings/parcels and its characteristics) is needed so these surveys will obtain more reliable estimates. There were important developments in agriculture within the fourteen-year period from the last census that should be captured like the use of forest trees within the farming system to enhance productivity and information on fisheries, which is becoming a very important sector of the Kingdom's economy. Considering the above issues, there is a great need to update the statistics on agriculture in order to determine its present situation and to use it for economic planning and policy-making.

Objectives.

In support of the strategic plans and programmes of the Kingdom of Tonga on agriculture, the Government has decided to conduct the Agriculture Census (AC). This census is envisioned to: a) Provide benchmark or basic data on structure of agricultural holdings and their main characteristics; b) Use this information to develop a regular system of agricultural statistics; c) Build up some important village level statistics; d) Establish a technical and organizational foundation on which to build up a comprehensive and integrated system of food and agricultural statistics; and e) Provide a frame from which samples can be drawn to study certain aspects of agricultural activities in greater depth. f) Provide information on community (village) statistics.

Authority for Undertaking the AC 2015 The AC 2015 is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Forests and Fisheries and the Statistic Department. Authority for the census rest with the Government Statistician who has the legal power to collect such information under the Statistics Act 1978.

v01: Finalised fully edited data, cleaned and labelled version of the Master file.

The 2015 census covers all households and agricultural holdings as well as all villages in Tonga. Items covered include the
following:

At the Household and Organizational level:

a) Engagement of subsectors of agriculture.
b) Household membership demographic and economic information.
c) Land use under bush allotment and town allotment, area by tenure and location.
d) Area under perennial crops, annual crops, animal yard, pasture, fallow and other land use.
e) Number of trees in town allotment and home garden.
f) Food crops cultivation, including crop still growing, crops harvested.
g) Agricultural practices.
h) Engagement in farming community.
i) Livestock including number of heads, livestock disposal and veterinary services.
j) Fishery including type of fishing, main purpose of fishing, species harvested and habitat type of fishing.
k) Forestry including intended use of trees and shrubs.
l) Handicraft including proportion of raw material used from household and estimate of product value of katoanga.
m) Agricultural labour and machinery

At the Community (Village) level:

a) Village officer's information
b) Main economic activity
c) Outbreaks in the village
d) Farmers cooperative
e) Development priorities

• Collection start: 2015
• Collection end: 2015

Abstract

The census date was midnight, the 30th of November 2016. It is the official count of population, dwellings and households in Tonga and it provides a ‘snapshot’ of the country at one specific point in time: 30th of November 2016. Since 1956 until 2006, Census has been taken once in every ten years.

The Population and Housing Census (PHC) provides a unique source of detailed demographic, social and economic data relating the entire population and its most precious resource of its people. This information is used for policy making and planning, monitoring and evaluation, research and other decision-making.

The PHC is often the primary source of information such as used for allocation of public funding, especially in areas such as health, education and social policy. The main users of this information are the government, local authorities, education facilities (such as schools and tertiary organizations), businesses, community organizations and the public in general.

The population census 2016 was the second population census by 5 years interval after the previous census in 2011. This was requested by the Electoral Boundary Commission (EBC) according to its Act 2010, Section 21(1) which states that: (1) To facilitate the second determination of boundaries under this Act, the Minister responsible for the administration of the Statistics Act shall cause a general population census to be carried out before the next General Election. (2) The Government Statistician shall certify and provide to the Commission such Information, calculations and projections that the Commission may enable it to perform its functions under this Act.

Government Approval

The Statistics Department first sought the Minister of Finance’s approval to conduct this census. Once, this approval was received, the census proposal was prepared. The proposal was submitted to the Minister of Finance for endorsement to the Cabinet with the recommendation “That the Statistics Department conduct the Tonga Population Census and Housing on 30th November 2016(census date), and Ministry of Finance and National Planning assist with obtaining of necessary funding for the census be approved.”

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Household, Individual

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire is made of 9 modules in total (from A to I) and is in English with the Tongan translation below each question. The questionnaire was designed with Survey Solutions. The questionnaire is available in the external resources section.

Cleaning operations

Data editing and cleaning was collaborated with the assistance of SPC.

Data appraisal

For the post-enumeration survey (PES), 7 census blocks were selected: 4 blocks from seven districts in Tongatapu, 1 block from each Ha’apai and Vava’u respectively and 1 from ‘Eua. The PES count in some areas recorded slightly less people. In other areas, more people were counted than the actual census enumeration. The discrepancy in population numbers could be explained by the high mobility of the Tongan population during the period of the census and the PES count.

Tonga TO: Legislation Exists on Domestic Violence: 1=Yes; 0=No data was reported at 1.000 NA in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 NA for 2015. Tonga TO: Legislation Exists on Domestic Violence: 1=Yes; 0=No data is updated yearly, averaging 1.000 NA from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2017, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.000 NA in 2017 and a record low of 1.000 NA in 2017. Tonga TO: Legislation Exists on Domestic Violence: 1=Yes; 0=No data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tonga – Table TO.World Bank.WDI: Policy and Institutions. Legislation exists on domestic violence is whether there is legislation addressing domestic violence: violence between spouses, within the family or members of the same household, or in interpersonal relationships, including intimate partner violence that is subject to criminal sanctions or provides for protection orders for domestic violence, or the legislation addresses “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” or “harassment” that clearly affects physical or mental health, and it is implied that such behavior is considered domestic violence.; ; World Bank: Women, Business and the Law.; ;

The guide seeks to rekindle debate and discussion about the value of freedom of information laws, as well as to provide a practical roadmap for their introduction, where necessary. The guide is in three parts.

Part 1 traces developments in the field across the Pacific Part 2 examines the principles necessary to underpin sound freedom of information laws. Part 3 identifies 13 key elements needed for proper and effective freedom of information legislation.

Concise environmental legislative reviews of Pacific Island countries plus Tokelau. Please submit new information or corrections as the reviews will be updated annually.

The Minister responsible for environment acting in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet may, subject to the provisions of this Act, levy Deposits in respect of prescribed materials for waste material recovery. Deposits levied under subsection (1) of this section shall be laid before the Maneaba ni Maungatabu within forty-eight hours of the day on which the next meeting of the Maneaba commences and shall come into operation on publication unless the Maneaba by resolution amends it or rejects it as the case may be. Available online Call Number: [EL] Physical Description: 6 Pages

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) was entrusted with the responsibility to lead the implementation of the agricultural census project with the assistance of the Statistics Department (SD). The Census was conducted under the National Statistics Act 1978 which provides for obligation of the citizens to provide information, confidentiality of information provided and the duties of the census staff. A National Agriculture Census Committee was constituted to guide and supervise the entire census exercise. Technical and financial assistance for undertaking the census was provided by the FAO of the UN.

The undertaking of the AC 2001 was envisioned to: 1. provide benchmark or basic data on the structure of agricultural holdings and their main characteristics; 2. use this information to develop a regular system of agricultural statistics; 3. build up some important village and regional level statistics; 4. establish a technical and organizational foundation on which to build up a comprehensive and integrated system of food and agricultural statistics; and 5. provide a frame from which samples can be drawn to study certain aspects of agricultural activities in greater depth.

The 2001 Agricultural Census covered the following items:

HOUSEHOLD
1. Level of Agricultural Activity
• Non-agricultural
• Minor agricultural
• Subsistence only
• Subsistence with occasional selling
• Commercial crop producer

1. Ownership of Tax Allotment (‘Api Tukuhau)
   • Name of Owner(s)
   • Area
   • Present Status
   • Land Location

2. Agricultural Holdings and Method of Operation
   • Name of Operator(s)
   • Method of Operation
   • Holding Area
   • Number of Separate Parcels
   • Location of Holding

3. Crops and Trees Grown by Minor Agricultural Household Only
   • Crops/Trees Currently Growing/Still Growing

4. Name of Crops/Trees

5. Area

6. Number of Plants
   • Crops/Trees Planted and Harvested During the Last 12 Months

7. Name of Crops/Trees

8. Area

9. Number of Plants

10. Household Membership and Economic Characteristics
    • Name
    • Sex
    • Age
    • Main Activity
    • Employment Status
    • Occupation
    • Industry

11. Livestock Including Dogs
    • Number Kept as of the day of visit to the household
    • Number Disposed during the past twelve months prior to census enumeration

12. Fisheries
    • Main Purpose of Fishing Activity
    • Type of Fishing Method
    • Number of Trips during the past week
    • Number of Persons Engaged
    • Use of Boats whether Owned/Hired/Borrowed
    • Number of Boats Owned
    • Proportion of Fish/Other Sea Products Sold
    • Means of Disposal/Selling Fish/Other Sea Products

HOLDING
1. Parcel Details
• Location of Parcel
• Total Parcel Area
• Land Tenure
• Main Land Use
• Length of Use/Fallow

1. Agricultural Income and Loan
   • Proportion of Household Income Derived from Agricultural Activities
   • Availment of Loan for Agricultural Activities
   • Main Source of Loan(s)

2. Labour Inputs
   • Membership Status
   • Sex
   • Age
   • Type of Labor
   • Hours Worked in the Holding last week
   • Wages per Month if paid worker
   • Other Benefits Received if paid worker
   • Industry for Other Occupation
   • Status of Other Occupation
   • Number and Sex of Hired Laborers
   • Average Number of Days Worked of Hired Laborers (male and female)
   • Average Hours Worked/Day of Hired Laborers (male and female)

3. Use of Fertilizers and Agricultural Chemicals
   • Use of inorganic fertilizers
   • Use of organic fertilizers
   • Use of agricultural chemicals

4. Name of Crop

5. Chemical Used

6. Equipment Used
   • Type of Equipment used
   • Number Owned
   • Whether Hired/Borrowed

7. Agro-Forestry on the Holding
   • Name of Trees/Shrubs
   • Uses of Trees/Shrubs

8. Handicraft Making
   • Household Members Engaged
   • Proportion of Raw Materials Taken from the Holding
   • Proportion of Raw Materials Bought
   • Proportion of Raw Materials Sold

PARCEL
1. Number of Separate Parcels

1. Plot Details
   • Area of Plot
   • Crops Grown
   • Method of Sowing
   • Proportion of Mixed Crops
   • Number of Plants in Scattered Planting

2. Scattered/Boundary Crops/Trees Growing on this Parcel
   • Name of Scattered Crops/Trees
   • Number of Crops/Trees
   • Name of Boundary Crops/Trees
   • Number of Crops/Trees

3. Crops Planted and Already Harvested on this Parcel
   • Name of Crops/Trees Planted and Already Harvested
   • Area Harvested
   • Number of Plants if no area
   • Proportion Sold

• Collection start: 2001
• Collection end: 2001

Laws of Tonga. 1988 Revised Edition. Chapter 135. Petroleum Act - Acts Nos. 6 of 1959 and 7 of 1981. An Act to control and regulate the carriage and storage of petroleum. Commencement - 14th September 1959. This Act maybe cited as the Petroleum Act,