The Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) is pleased to announce the engagement of Mr Tiofilusi Tiueti, Tonga’s former Minister of Finance, to lead the development of a national contingency plan aimed at strengthening Tonga’s financial preparedness for natural disasters.
This important initiative is being financed by the Global Shield Solutions Platform (GSSP), managed by the Frankfurt School, whose support is enabling the enhancement of contingency planning for PCRIC’s member countries. With this support, PCRIC is working to ensure that insurance payouts are timely, targeted, and effective in reaching vulnerable populations when disasters strike.
A contingency plan is a structured, country-specific document that outlines how, when, and where pre-arranged financial resources will be accessed and deployed in the event of a natural disaster. It acts as a vital bridge between financial preparedness and real-time emergency response.
This strategic engagement reflects PCRIC’s continued commitment to supporting its member countries in developing sustainable disaster risk financing frameworks. The national contingency plan for Tonga will be aligned with domestic priorities, donor expectations, and international payout protocols.
Mr Tiueti brings a distinguished career in public administration, financial governance, and public sector reform. He previously served as CEO of the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions and as Chief Executive of Tonga’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning, where he led the implementation of the country’s public financial management reform roadmap.
“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with Mr. Tiueti during his time as Minister of Finance, where he consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of Tonga’s financial and governance systems. His institutional knowledge will help ensure that the contingency plan is both technically robust and nationally grounded.”
Mr Aholotu Palu, CEO of PCRIC
“His appointment is a natural extension of PCRIC’s partnership with Tonga. We’re confident his insights and leadership will be instrumental in delivering a contingency plan that meets both national priorities and global funding requirements.”
“At a time when political and fiscal challenges on climate finance are intensifying, this grant agreement provides a timely and necessary response. Regional Risk Pools are a proven, functional model for climate disaster risk financing and the Global Shield Solutions Platform is proud to facilitate their further collaboration and support their mission to enhance financial resilience against climate disasters”.
Dr. Annette Detken, Head of GSSP
The contingency planning process will follow a broad consultative approach, engaging key stakeholders across Tonga to validate funding assumptions, refine response timelines, and define operational triggers for disaster-related disbursements. Similar planning work will also be rolled out over the coming months in Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, and Vanuatu as part of PCRIC’s wider regional support efforts.