COMMENTARY: Acting Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu’s lack of transparency over the awarding of a contract to privatise Vava’u’s Lupepau’u International Airport is indeed concerning.
Hon Vaipulu said this week a New Zealand firm has received approval from the Tonga government to undertake the reconstruction and modernization of the airport.
However, he refused to disclose the company’s name or the specifics of the project and gave no timeline for its completion.
Kaniva News has obtained documents which raise serious questions about the project.
We have attempted to verify the authenticity of the documents which appear to show that Cabinet has approved the New Zealand’s Intelligent Green Energy company to redevelop Vava’u Airport.
The company was registered in Tonga on December 11, 2024 as Vava’u International Airport Ltd, according to the Tongan government’s Business Registry Office website.
We believe this is a matter of serious public importance.
The documents appear to show that package negotiated with the developer includes the “transfer of control and operation of the Lupepau’u International Airport to Vava’u International Airport”.
The directors are listed as Shahroom Shah, Sandip Chopra and Liberio Riosa with registered address at Leimatu’a, Vava’u.
Vava’u International Airport Ltd is 100 percent owned by the Intelligent Green Light.
The company claims on its website that it provides “comprehensive airport management which ensures smooth functioning of aviation practices required for the safety of flyers, flight management and commercial operations”.
Director fined in NZ
One of the directors of Vava’u International Airport Ltd, Liberio Riosa, was fined tens of thousands of dollars in New Zealand, and his company, LZ Lighting Limited, went into liquidation three years ago.
In 2021 a Disputes Tribunal hearing in Auckland ordered Riosa to pay NZ$30,000 as compensation after he was deemed to have defrauded a couple by providing failed products after they agreed for Riosa to install an off-grid power system in their home.
Disputes Tribunal referee Sara Grayson found “Riosa engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by selling turbines that did not work as advertised,” the New Zealand Herald reported.
The Tribunal was told that the couple paid Riosa more than NZ$40,000, but immediately after the turbines were installed, they failed to work efficiently.
As a result the New Zealand’s Sustainable Energy Association of NZ “terminated” Riosa’s membership.
Raw Mana announcement
In 2021 the government announced that a British company known as Raw Mana had announced a huge airport development of Vava’u airport.
It said it would be fully funded by private foreign investors and had the backing of the king. It did not say where the money would come from.
It said Raw Mana had plans to lengthen the runway of the airport, to allow large aircraft to fly directly into the hub of Tongan tourism.
It said the company was also planning to upgrade the terminal and build a renewable energy power station to supply the electricity the expanded complex will need.
It said the overall cost of the project was estimated at US$121m (NZ$213m).
It said the project would replace the airport’s existing building with a new proposed new 8,000m2 terminal and a cargo facility.
“The extended 2,700m runway will facilitate landing for large aircraft at the airport,” a report at the time said.
“Upon completion, the airport will become the country’s largest international airport and is expected to attract more tourists and improve trade with neighboring nations such as Australia and New Zealand”.
Documents filed with Companies House ny Raw Mana in the UK show that in 2021 the company’s assets were worth £100. It was described as being involved in the construction of domestic buildings.
A website under the name Raw Mana described the organisation as a leading contractor in the infrastructure and operations sectors.
It claimed to offer customers a full, custom delivery service and manage programmes from the initial concept right through to ongoing operations.
“Working with National and Local Governments, developers and private clients, we create bespoke infrastructure solutions,” it said.
While it does not show any physical address and person to contact, it appeared the organisation has contacts in the United Kingdom , UAE , Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Tonga.
The website displayed a copyright year of 2021, indicating that it has not undergone any updates or revisions since that time. This suggests that the content may be outdated.
Kaniva News has contacted Hon Vaipulu and Tonga Airport Ltd CEO Edgar Cocker for comment.
Vava’u International Airport could not be reached for comment.
We look forward to their comment and clarification.
Editor’s Comment:
While it is important to maintain an optimistic outlook regarding the redevelopment of Vava’u International Airport, it is equally important to critically assess any statements issued by the government, particularly in light of the imminent election of the new Prime Minister next week.
Ironically, the 2021 government, in which Hon Vaipulu was a Cabinet Minister, admitted only a few days after confirming that Raw Mana would reconstruct the Vava’u airport, that a full proposal had not in fact been received.
The then Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, Edgar Cocker, told the media that their press release did not mean that the Government had granted approval for Raw Mana Ltd to undertake the project.
It is noteworthy that when the media ran the story about the Raw Mana’s proposed project in October 2021, it was just a few weeks before the general election in which Hon Hu’akavameiliku was elected as Prime Minister. Hon Vaipulu became the Deputy Prime Minister in the December election.
The timing should be a matter of concern since we have not heard any updates from the government regarding the project for about three years.
Now claims about another proposed reconstruction project have emerged again and just as in 2021, elections are imminent.
This sudden reappearance raises questions about the motives behind the timing and whether it is simply an attempt to influence public opinion during the election campaign period.
According to Radio New Zealand Pacific, the Vaipulu cabinet is considering the nomination of MP Dr Viliami Latu of Vava’u 13, who also serves as Minister for Tourism, for the upcoming Prime Ministerial election.
While the timing of the announcement may all be a remarkable coincidence, the parallels with what happened in 2021 mean is worth examining very closely.
