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TCC pays government $1.2 million dividend

By
Kalino Latu
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Tonga Telecommunication Commission has paid the government its dividend for the last financial year 2014-15.

“This is the second consecutive year that they are paying a dividend in excess of TOP 1.0 million, and growing rapidly year on year over the last 05 years”, a statement from TCC says.

The amount declared was TOP$1.5 Million and there were setoffs for pensioners salaries paid to Tonga Telecommunications Commission resulting in the net payment of TOP$ 1.2 M.

The profit of TOP 2.2 M achieved in the last Financial Year, this was after write-off of TOP 1.6 M worth of redundant legacy network equipment.

TCC also contribute substantially towards the government revenue as one of the largest taxpayers, paying over TOP 4 M direct and indirect taxes and levies per annum.

TCC will be investing TOP 4.0 million this year towards the network expansion as they have already invested over $30 million in their network infrastructure in the last few years.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Enterprises thanked the TCC Board, Management, and all staff for the dividend payment, and he elaborated the government is pleased to receive the dividend and are able to contribute towards the development of the Kingdom.

Mailangi Vea’s body laid to rest

By
Kalino Latu
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Hundreds of kāinga and family gathered at the Kalevalio cemetery in Fungamisi, Neiafu as the fata of Mailangi Vea who died while on a business mission to the island of Late, was carried to his  final resting place yesterday July 4.

His body was recovered by the Search and Recovery team at approximately 3:00 pm Sunday 3, a Police statement said.

“An inquest held on Monday 4th July determined that Mr. Vea died from drowning”, it said.

The burial ceremony proceeded immediately after the Digicel helicopter landed with the body in Neiafu, Vavaʻu, Vavaʻu Police Superindentend, Netane Falakiseni said.

The ceremony, which was led by Fr Lolesia Lākai and the Catholic congregation,  was conducted after several attempts to return Vea’s body on Sunday were unsuccessful due to bad weather.

“Mr. Vea was hired by Digicel Tonga to bring back 8 of their people to Neiafu who were working at Late Island for approximately 3 weeks”, a statement said.

The Fungamisi man was swept away by waves when the dinghy he was in capsized at approximately 2:30 pm July 2, 2016, it said.

A Police patrol boat and another boat belonging to the Beluga, a local company assisted in the recovery operation.

Democratic Party has yet to name candidate for Vavaʻu by-election

By
Kalino Latu
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With just 10 more days before the Vavaʻu 16 by-election on July 14, Tonga’s Democratic Party has yet to announce a candidate.

Only four candidates stand for the by-election vying for the same seat in Parliament.

They were Akosita Lavulavu, Dr Viliami Lātū, ‘Ipeni Siale and ‘Atalasa Pouvalu.

Two potential candidates for the Democratic Party were Akosita Lavulavu and ‘Ipeni ‘Alamoni Siale. Dr Lātū and Pouvalu stood as independent candidates in the last national election.

Siale was nominated by the Party in the last election but was unsuccessful. The election was won by the outgoing MP ‘Etuate Lavulavu.

However Siale told Kaniva News recently he has yet to talk to Democratic Leader ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and the Party about their candidacy.

Akosita and his campaign team did not return requests for comment.

However, she wrote on Facebook and declared her full support to Pōhiva and his government.

In the past Pōhiva has told his supporters to choose particular candidates because he thought would help him in his fight to bring democracy to Tonga.

Since the democratic reform came into effect in 2010 and majority of the MPs were chosen by the people the Democratic Party was set up under the leadership of Pōhiva.

In the last two general elections the Party continued to name candidates they thought would support them in Parliament.

If Pōhiva would not name a candidate for the upcoming by-election it would mark the first time since he entered Parliament in 1987, that his supporters were left to vote without his political campaign influence.

Tonga’s political system

The political party system does not exist in Tonga. Political analysts say Tonga’s current political system was designed to have all members of parliament represent the whole country with no formal opposition party.

Critics say the system was intended to give greater power to the king and the nobles and that claims it was a democracy were misleading as the current government represents a minority because of the disproportionate power of the nobles.

The Friendly Island Democratic Party, led by Leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva, was established in September 2010 to unite candidates who later became MPs and who were supporters of Pohiva in his attempt to have the government democratically run by the people.

Tonga’s new political system, which was implemented in 2010, introduced an electoral system comprised of two electorates: the hereditary land-holding nobles, plus nine Life Peers (honorary Nobles), who elect nine hereditary Nobles;

The rest of the population of Tonga – about 100,000 people – elect 17 representatives, 10 of them on the main island, Tongatapu.

According to Tonga’s constitution a general election is held every four  years, after which  the elected parliamentarians elect the Prime Minister.

Mailangi’s body still in Late, bad weather hinders efforts to return it to Neiafu

By
Kalino Latu
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A helicopter was sent this morning to the island of Late in an attempt to bring the body of missing Mailangi Vea to Neiafu.

The dead body of the 42-year-old was retrieved from the water yesterday but attempts to transport it to Neiafu were unsuccessful because of the bad weather, Vavaʻu Police Superintended Netane Falakiseni told Kaniva News this morning.

The rescue operation encountered great difficulties and at one stage they were forced to call off to avoid any further tragedy, Falakiseni said.

Four lifebuoys attached to a 150-metre rope were thrown into the sea to help recover the body but they were all sucked into the blowholes at where the victim was swept away, Falakiseni said, adding that this showed how rough the sea was.

“Mr. Vea was hired by Digicel Tonga to bring back 8 of their people to Neiafu who were working at Late Island for approximately 3 weeks”, a statement said.

The Fungamisi man hasn’t been seen since he was swept away by waves when the dinghy he was in capsized at approximately 2:30 pm July 2, 2016, it said.

A Police patrol boat and another boat belong to the Beluga, a local company assisted in the recovery operation.

Falakiseni said they expected the Digicel’s helicopter can land in the island so that the body could be transported to Neiafu today.

AUT first doctorate in digital forensics awarded to Tongan scholar

By
Kalino Latu
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Dr Raymond Lutui has become the first scholar at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to acquire a doctorate in digital forensics.

Dr Lutui is also believed to be the first Tongan doctorate  in this field.

“Ignited by curiosity, Raymond Lutui came to AUT to come to complete his, PhD in Digital Forensics the first person to do so at AUT”, a statement from AUT says.

“Raymond developed his interest in computers from an early age in Tonga”, it says.

“I think my main drive is my own curiosity… I want to find out more about computers, which lead to my interest in IT and then forensic investigations.”, the statement quoted Dr Lutui as saying.

Looking forward

Raymond has been awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies.

He will teach, mentor and most importantly, research. In his role, there is a focus on research publications to establish an academic career path, with hopes of progressing through AUT’s academia.

Raymond’s first year within the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies will be focused on establishing research from his thesis in Digital Forensics, and his second year will be a time to explore a new field: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

“This is something completely new for me and I am very excited to start learning all I can about these fields.

“Through my journey here at AUT, I have learnt that the knowledge I have acquired doesn’t matter or make me any wiser unless I use it wisely.”

Search resumes for Vavaʻu missing man

By
Kalino Latu
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The search and recovery operation for Mr. Mailangi Vea of Fungamisi Vavaʻu  resumed this morning July 3.

The 45-year-old man was swept away by waves when the dinghy he was in capsized at about 2:30 pm July 2,  2016 in the island of Late.

A statement from Police said: “Neiafu Police SAR (Search and Rescue) boat ‘Kapakau ‘o Tafahi’ with 3 Police crews as well as a local boat with 5 divers are conducting the search.

“Mr. Vea was hired by Digicel Tonga to bring back 8 of their people to Neiafu who were working at Late Island for approximately 3 weeks.

“Police coordinated the rescue of the rest of Mr. Vea’s 3 crews as well as the 8 Digicel workers, with the help of a local boat that towed back Mr. Vea’s boat ‘The ‘Ilena’ to Neiafu last night.

“Police are also grateful for the assistance of the Digicel helicopter crew which assisted on the initial search yesterday and today as well.

“Since the launch of the 3 new police SAR boats in December 2015, police have saved 54 lives, and recovered 1 body from 14 Police SAR operations.

“Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell emphasizes to mariners and seafarers of the importance of taking precautions and safety measures before embarking on their voyages. To make sure that they have a communication means, life jacket, emergency flares and a beacon”.

King’s leading chief Motuʻapuaka dies in the United States

By
Kalino Latu
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One of the king of Tonga’s leading matāpule who held the title Motuʻapuaka died in the United States this morning, his matāpule Mafi-E-Vaohēhea has confirmed.

He said Motuʻapuaka suffered an illness before he died.

Motuʻapuaka is one of the king’s heralds who inherited and held lands in Tonga such as His Majesty’s nobles.

His estate is Teʻekiu in Tongatapu.

Motuʻapuaka’s roles included taking care of and making decision during any royal kava ceremony the king attended.

Tonga Sunday ban on bakeries begins

By
Kalino Latu
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The selling of bread to customers on Sunday will become a crime in Tonga starting today July 3.

It is now banned after protests by church leaders saying the business breached Tonga’s Sunday trading ban law.

The church leaders believed only five percent of the people in Tonga were affected when the ban came into effect.

However one of Tonga’s major bakeries, the Cowley Bakery,  had estimated about 80 percent of the people in the mainland Tongatapu relied on bread for their food on Sunday.

Tonga’s Police Minister Hon. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa was quoted in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office as saying “it has been about 30 years now that Tonga has breached its own Sabbath Law with bakeries and restaurants operating on Sunday”.

The statement said: “Only restaurants in hotel and other accommodations are to operate on Sunday”.

“According to the Constitution, Sunday should be kept holy and no person shall practice his trade or profession or conduct any commercial undertaking”.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said Tonga is a Christian country and Tupou I formally decreed Sunday to be kept holy and the prohibition of trading activities on Sabbath.

He said there is exception to trading on Sunday but only in times of natural disasters.

READ MORE:

Government has no record of decision being made to allow bakeries to operate on Sunday

Husband, two women killed in Hihifo horror crash, wife hospitalised

By
Kalino Latu
-

A husband and two women have been killed in a horror crash in Hihifo, Tongatapu after their car crashed into a casuarina tree this morning Saturday 2.

Our correspondent in Tonga said the wife of the dead man was seriously injured and was in hospital in a serious condition.

He said a young woman and  another woman who owned a business died in the accident.

Apparently the car was travelling westbound on Hihifo road to ʻAhau when the tragedy occured.

Police have yet to determine the cause of the crash and release the identities of the victims.

They have cordoned off the scene with a crime-scene tape.

Disqualified TASANOC members’ worries justified, Lawyer Sione Fonua says

By
Kalino Latu
-

The TASANOC members who were disqualified before the election of new officials last month were right to be unhappy, Tongan New Zealand-based lawyer Sione Fonua said today.

Fonua said something was not right with TASANOC’s election, according to its constitution, although he did not detail what he thought went wrong.

He said there was something wrong with his own nomination to the election and he had e-mailed TASANOC and pointed out the mistake.

However, Fonua said he accepted their wrong decision as he considered that it was important they should move forward and do the work for the Games.

Fonua said he was not one of those who were seeking legal action against TASANOC  because of their  disqualification before the elections.

Kaniva News has previously reported that 11 members of TASANOC were disqualified before the election, including Sione Fonua, Lord Vaea, Semisi Sika, Emeline Tuita, Timote Katoanga, Ahongalu Fusimalohi, Siosaia Fonua, Michael O’Shanessy, Leafa Wawryk and Paea Wolfgramm.

Emeline was supposed to stand against Lord Sevele in her position as Vice President Finance. When  she was disqualified Lord Sevele became the only candidate for the election,

Lord Vaea was re-elected because he was nominated through another position after he was disqualified.

Trust

As Kaniva News reported on June 26, there have been claims that the election was held illegally because it was held with 26 days’ notice instead of the 30 days required by TASANOC’s constitution.

Some of the disqualified members who talked to Kaniva News since the election said TASANOC should have followed its new constitution approved on May 19.

“How can the government trust them if they refuse to uphold their constitution?” one disqualified member said.

“We believe that the constitution is for protection, not convenience.

“We believed that an error was made in good faith in setting the date for the meeting, but it has to be acknowledged as an error and accepted that the only way forward is a fresh notice that complies with the constitution.

He said the election was held with 26 days’ notice instead of the 30 days required by the constitution. It did not matter that a previous meeting approved the meeting.

“Instead of admitting we could count to 30, we just ploughed on and created further breaches of the just approved constitution,” he said.

“It is very important for the national sporting federations to understand the potential consequences of this decision, which is why we sought to correct the error first to avoid the ramifications of a stubborn stance against the Constitution.

“We desired a fair election and one of the benefits of addressing the 30 day notice would have been to call for a new election process which we may or may not have benefited from.

“Instability in TASANOC is a significant issue for Government as a primary financier of Team Tonga to the Pacific Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games and international competitions such as World Cup in Rugby and Rugby League.

“In pursuing further action, the primary purpose is not to be voted in, although we would welcome the opportunity to serve. It is to ensure we follow the Constitution to the letter and make sure the proper processes are carried for the benefit of all, not just a few.”

The main points

  • The TASANOC members who were disqualified before the election of new officials last month were right to be unhappy, Tongan New Zealand-based lawyer Sione Fonua said today.
  • Fonua said something was not right with TASANOC’s election.
  • A total of 11 members of TASANOC were disqualified before the election, including Sione Fonua, Lord Vaea, Semisi Sika, Emeline Tuita, Timote Katoanga, Ahongalu Fusimalohi, Siosaia Fonua, Michael O’Shanessy, Leafa Wawryk and Paea Wolfgramm.
  • There have been claims that the election was held illegally because it was held with 24 days’ notice instead of the 30 days required by TASANOC’s constitution.

For more information

TASANOC elections face legal challenge as anti-Pohiva candidates elected to committee

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