Tonga Welcomes U.S. Support Through MCC Program
Nukuʻalofa — The United States has confirmed that Tonga will join the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold program, a decision that is being seen as a vote of confidence in the country’s reform efforts and its growing importance as a partner in the Pacific.
The MCC is a U.S. government aid agency created in 2004 with a mission to reduce poverty through economic growth. Unlike traditional aid programs, it focuses on supporting countries that show a commitment to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in their people. It does this through two main channels: large-scale multi-year compacts and smaller, targeted threshold programs designed to strengthen reforms and institutions.
The threshold program will provide Tonga with targeted assistance to strengthen governance, improve economic management, and build capacity in public institutions. If successful, it could open the door for Tonga to qualify for a full MCC compact in the future, similar to the program Fiji has just been invited to develop.
This announcement follows weeks of concern after Tonga was included in a leaked U.S. State Department memo listing 36 countries under consideration for new travel restrictions. The draft list, which also named Tuvalu and Vanuatu, raised fears that Tongans could face new barriers to entering the United States. With large diaspora communities living in Utah, California, and Hawai‘i, any restriction would have a direct impact on families and the flow of remittances that sustain the local economy.
The MCC decision helps balance those concerns by highlighting the United States’ recognition of Tonga’s progress. U.S. officials pointed to reforms already underway and described Tonga as an increasingly important maritime partner. Since the U.S. embassy opened in Nukuʻalofa in 2023, both countries have deepened cooperation across economic, security, and diplomatic fronts.
For Tonga, this is more than foreign assistance. It signals to the international community that the country is capable of reform and that its institutions are moving in the right direction. Domestically, it provides a chance for government to strengthen services and create conditions that could attract more private investment.
Community leaders say the move could also help address the very issues that placed Tonga on the travel restriction list in the first place. Improvements in governance, transparency, and documentation systems would not only support development at home but also strengthen Tonga’s case to maintain close ties with its diaspora abroad.
The government is expected to work closely with MCC officials in the coming months to outline priority areas for the threshold program. These could include building stronger institutions, reducing economic vulnerabilities, and investing in people.
For ordinary Tongans, the decision is being welcomed as a sign that Washington sees the country not just as a risk, but as a partner worth investing in. Families who depend on remittances from relatives in the United States hope that progress in the program will help ease concerns about travel restrictions and keep connections with the diaspora open.
The MCC’s selection of Tonga marks a turning point. It shows that, while challenges remain, the country has international backing to continue reforms that matter both at home and abroad. For a small island nation, that recognition carries weight, and it may prove decisive in shaping the next stage of Tonga’s development.
