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Warning about fake paʻanga note in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tonga National Reserve Bank has issued a warning about bogus bank notes being circulated in Tongatapu.

The national bank said it received $20 paʻanga notes  with fake new design of ‘King Tupou VI banknote series’.

It said the counterfeit banknote did not carry the watermark of the “King’s effigy with a lighter text reading NRBT” in which it should be “visible when the banknote is held up to the light,  a security thread embedded in the banknote; and the ultraviolet fluorescent – showing the denomination of the banknote on the front of the note”.

“The Reserve Bank is concerned that there could be more of such $20 pa’anga counterfeit banknote circulating around”, a statement said.

“The public is hereby advised to check all banknotes particularly the $20 pa’anga new designed banknote before accepting them”.

The bank warned that fake paʻanga note has no value and urged public “to report any counterfeit banknotes to the Reserve Bank. Makers and distributors of counterfeits are breaching Section 59 and 61 of the Criminal Offences Act 1988”.

Climate technology, plans and funding top of Tonga regional workshop agenda

By
Kaniva Staff
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A three-day workshop which began in Nuku’alofa yesterday was an opportunity for small Pacific countries to discuss climate technology, action plans and sources of funding so they could receive what available for them at  Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).

CTCN is a new global network for climate technology solutions created by the  United Nations.

The international body took the lead in combating causes and effects of climate change with cleaner and low-carbon technologies.

“The Climate Technology Centre and Network works to accelerate the use of new technologies in improving the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries who are dealing with the impacts of climate change on a daily basis,” it says.

An official statement from Tongan government said  members would look at various technologies and technical supports available at CTCN for the region.

They would also look at best practices and experiences they can share in order to help them prepare national action plans that could meet CTCN requirements for  assistances it can offer.

They would also deliberate on how they can get funding for the intiative.

The workshop which runs from February 24 – 26 was the first regional workshop on Climate Technology for the small Pacific islands.

In his opening speech Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Climate Change, Honourable Siaosi Sovaleni said: “We, as Pacific countries wishes to access technology solutions, capacity building and advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks tailored to the needs of our individual countries”.

About 40 stakeholders from Tonga and around the regions attended the workshop.

Power outage at Fuʻamotu Airport causes delay, authority clarifies

By
Kaniva Staff
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A power failure at Fuʻamotu International Airport in Tonga  early this month has delayed hundreds of travellers who were about to leave for New Zealand and Australia.

The flight was still able to take off but queue for departure was growing in the terminal and passengers were complaining.

Power was eventually restored in less than half an hour.

Tonga Airport Ltd (TAL) manager Viliami Maʻake said the problem was immediately addressed.

“For some reason the back-up generator did not start and technical staffs later identified that the fault was due to a faulty part which has now been fixed”, Maʻake said.

He said: “The airport terminal runs primarily on the main power supply from Tonga Power and a back-up power supply provided by the TAL that takes over whenever there is a main power failure and this has happened from time to time”.

The incident happened on February 9 after the main power failed to operate at 8.37pm but was shortly fixed and operations at the airport returned to normal at  9pm.

Mother finds three-metre python biting into her young son’s head

By
Kaniva Staff
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A mother who woke to her son’s blood-curdling screams found him lying in bed with a large python biting down on his head.

The boy’s mother, Tammy, ripped the three metre snake off her young son’s face on Thursday night after the reptile managed to slither into their Macksville, northern NSW home.

Tyler was asleep on the top of a set of bunk beds when the snake slithered into his sheets and woke him up with a nasty surprise bite.

The snake continued to bite him on the hand before lunging at his face, biting it a number of times before the boy’s mother came into the room.

The snake was killed by a family friend who posed proudly for a photo.

The python was found in a Macksville home in northern NSW and was killed. Photo: Craig Baker/Facebook
The python was found in a Macksville home in northern NSW and was killed. Photo: Craig Baker/Facebook

The man is holding the snake above his head in the photo – but it is so long it drapes on the ground at his feet.

The photo of the dead snake and one of the young boy’s head injury was posted on Facebook and has attracted more than 2000 shares in 24 hours.

The python was not a pet, and had made its way into the house. The young boy is doing well, according to the Facebook post.

– Daily Mail

New device for measuring Samoan and Tongan language skills

By
Kaniva Staff
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Auckland – Researchers from the Growing Up in New Zealand study have developed the first ever Samoan and Tongan language inventories to formally gauge the language skills of New Zealand toddlers speaking Samoan or Tongan as their first language.

While similar language inventories are used to assess children’s skills in a range of languages, this is the first time the vocabulary check list has been adapted for Samoan- and Tongan-speaking children in New Zealand.

Pacific peoples are the fourth largest ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 7.4 percent of the population. Compared to some other Pacific languages, the Samoan and Tongan languages are widely spoken in New Zealand.

“Language skills are vital for children’s thinking and social interactions, as well as for their later reading and school success,” says Professor Elaine Reese, Education Expert Adviser to the Growing Up in New Zealand study.

“That is why we need to support families in every way possible in their efforts to raise their children in a Samoan or Tongan language environment within New Zealand.”

The researchers adapted the short form of the so called MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), a widely used tool to assess language abilities of young children, for the Samoan and Tongan languages. The inventories measure a child’s language competency by asking parents if the child understands and actively uses any of 100 select words, and if the child already combines two words when speaking (eg ‘milk gone’).

Over 500 mothers in the Growing Up in New Zealand study completed the vocabulary checklist for their 2-year-old children in Samoan (344 mothers) or Tongan (242 mothers). Most of their children were monolingual speakers of either Samoan (83 percent) or Tongan (89 percent). Most of these mothers were born outside New Zealand (52 percent of the Samoan-speaking children and 67percent of the Tongan-speaking children).

The average total vocabulary from the 100 target words for two-year-old Samoan speakers was 13.5 words, compared to 23 words for Tongan speakers.

The research also found that children knew more words in Samoan and Tongan if their mothers were born outside of rather than in New Zealand (17 versus 10 in Samoan; 28 versus 14 in Tongan).

Just like for toddlers around the world, the most common words were about people, objects, and everyday routines: in Samoan, susu (milk),vai (water), ‘ofu (clothes), pepe (baby) and ‘aua (don’t); and in Tongan, mami (mum), kā (car), mālō (thanks), ‘ulu (head) and  inu (drink).

For Samoan speakers, girls, children of mothers born in NZ and children of more educated mothers were more likely to combine words, whereas for Tongan speakers there were no significant differences in word combinations by gender, or the mother’s education and birthplace.

“We know from other research in New Zealand and internationally that when children are strong in their first language, those skills transfer to their second language and to literacy,” says Professor Reese.

“By adding more language assessment tools like the one we developed to our toolkit, we are in a better position to realise a national language policy.”

Future analyses from Growing Up in New Zealand will be able to assess how these children’s language skills in Samoan and Tongan at age two spell success in school at age seven and beyond.

The results in brief:

  • The average total vocabulary for two-year-old speaking Samoan was 13.52 words, compared to 22.82 words for Tongan speakers.
  • Children knew more words in Samoan and Tongan if their mothers were born outside of rather than in New Zealand (17 versus 10 in Samoan; 28 versus 14 in Tongan).
  • Most common words in Samoan at age two: susu (milk, 51%), vai (water, 41%), ‘ofu (clothes, 38%), pepe (baby, 37%), ‘aua(don’t, 37%)
  • Most common words in Tongan at age two: mami (mum, 46%), kā (car, 46%), mālō (thanks, 45%), ‘ulu (head, 45%), inu (drink, 43%)
  • For Samoan speakers, girls, children of mothers born in NZ and children of more educated mothers were more likely to combine words. For Tongan speakers there were no significant differences in word combinations by gender, or the mother’s education or birthplace.

Download the full article from bit.ly/samoan-tongan-language
About Growing Up in New Zealand

Growing Up in New Zealand is a longitudinal study tracking the development of approximately 7,000 New Zealand children from before birth until they are young adults. The study has collected detailed multidisciplinary information about children’s early development and reflects the ethnical diversity of today’s pre-school children.

Growing Up in New Zealand is designed to provide unique information about what shapes children’s early development in contemporary New Zealand and how interventions might be targeted at the earliest opportunity to give every child the best start in life.

Early information from the study provides insight into areas like vulnerable children, housing, breastfeeding/early solids, immunisation, languages, early childhood education, interaction with health and other key services, paid parental leave and maternal return to the workforce.

Growing Up in New Zealand is University of Auckland-led research and funded by multiple government agencies. The government contract for the study is managed by the Social Policy and Evaluation Research Unit (Superu).

For more information and interviews with our researchers please contact:

Sabine Kruekel, Growing Up in New Zealand Communications and Marketing Manager

Phone: 09 923 9690

Mobile: 027 886 0722

Email: s.kruekel@auckland.ac.nz

Tongan teen wife arrested over suspected terrorist attack.

By
Kaniva Staff
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Sydney Terrorism Police have arrested the 18-year-old Tongan teen bride suspected of being a supporter of ISIS and alleged planning terror attack in Sydney.

Alo-Bridget Namoa of Auburn was arrested at the home of a relative about 10.30am Wednesday 23 in the western Sydney suburb of Guildford by a team of counter-terrorism police.

The arrest according to police did not relate to any “new specific threat” but rather the ongoing investigations of counter terrorism police.

Namoa is the first Tongan woman to be arrested in relation to terrorist activities. She is also the second woman in Australia’s history to be charged  with terrorism offences, after Fatima Elomar, wife of the late Islamic State fighter, Mohamed Elomar, admitted supporting his involvement in armed hostilities in Syria.

Relatives
Relatives of Alo-Bridget Namoa outside Central Local Court in Sydney on Thursday, February 11. Photo: Janie Barrett

The Tongan international community responded with mixed reaction to Namoa’s alleged terrorist involvement, with many expressed their shock a Tongan teen, married and originally belong to  a Christian  family can get involved  in such global violent activities, while others stood by her and asked the community to pray for Namoa.

She is expected to be charged with recklessly possessing an item connected to a terrorist act and recklessly collecting documents connected to a terrorist act.

Namoa was bailed out last month after she has been charged with 31 counts of refusing to answer questions about why her and her husband, Sameh Bayda, were downloading Islamic State propaganda.

One of the questions she refused to answer was why she sent a text message to her husband referring to themselves as a “jihadi Bonnie and Clyde”.

Refusing to answer questions in court is an offence in Sydney that carries a maximum penalty of two years’ jail.

Alo BrogateHer Lawyer said Namoa who married an alleged terrorist and is now facing possible jail time herself, is just a “troubled” girl who loves Bayda, who she married in December last year. Bayda faced terror charges for allegedly collecting documents on how to commit a stabbing and make a bomb, theDaily Telegraph reported.

Bridget Namoa
Alo Bridget Namoa appeared in court today. Photo/Facebook
Bridget Namoa hus
Alo-Bridget Namoa’s husband Sameh Bayda is currently in prison. Photo/Supplied

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Crown Prosecutor David Anderson said the text message showed Namoa was a “willing participant” and not influenced by her husband.

According to Sydney media, “Her family are absolutely devastated, they are shocked at the way things transpired”.  “They were helping her in every way they could to comply with her bail and there is no suggestion she was not complying with bail.”

READ MORE:

Tongan teenage bride links to ISIS terrorists in Australia revealed

Tonga’s economy growing, financial system sound says Reserve Bank in report to Cabinet

By
Kaniva Staff
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Inflation is down, the economy is growing and there’s money in the bank.

That’s the news from the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, which says that Tonga has enjoyed a year of economic growth and there is more good financial news to come.

The Reserve Bank said the kingdom experienced 2.5% real GDP growth in 2014/15 and can expect stronger growth of 3.3% in the next financial year.

Foreign reserves have risen to $319 million, a sign of Tonga’s competiveness with its major trading partners.

“Tonga’s financial system remains sound as the banking system continued to be profitable,” Reserve Bank governor Dr.Sione Ngongo Kioa said.

Writing in the bank’s Monetary Policy Statement, Kioa said monetary conditions improved in 2014/15 as total credit and deposits continued to grow.

In a report to cabinet, the Reserve Bank said growth in 2014/15 was due to the general improvement in the economy.

This was mainly driven by growth in the secondary and tertiary sectors. This reflected the effects of major events in mid-2015, such as the coronation, school reunions and church conferences.

These events coincided with increased imports and revenue from container registrations.

Growth in the next financial year is expected to come from a rebound in primary production, particularly in agriculture and fishing. There is also expected to be growth in the construction industry.

Global factors

Global factors are expected to benefit Tonga in the coming year, with falling oil prices making transportation and travel costs lower.

However, other global factors will be less kind. The slowdown of the Chinese market will affect markets in Australia and New Zealand and the uncertainty of global weather will continue to affect fishing and agriculture.

Agriculture was particularly badly hit by cyclones and the El Niño weather pattern in the period under review, with a 6.4% drop in exports to November 2014.

Better economic performances in Tonga’s main trading partners has led to lower import costs. However, this advantage was partly offset by the rise in the cost of domestic produce such as chicken, fish and vegetables.

According to the Reserve Bank the balance from Overseas Exchange Transactions was a surplus of $51.1 million over the year to November 2015, a massive $48.6 million higher than that of November 2014.

The kingdom still relies heavily on remittances, with money sent from overseas (mainly the United States, Australia and New Zealand) making up 26% of GDP. Over the year, remittances rose to $226.3 million.

The economy at a glance

  • Import payments rose to $306.8 million in November 2015. Imports of construction materials more than doubled due to major work in Nuku’alofa.
  • Wholesale and retail trade increased by 5.9% due to the recent opening of the Adiloa Store and Spare Parts Zone (Tonga) Ltd.
  • Foreign reserves reached $330 million in the new year. Exchange rates fell, indicating Tonga’s competitiveness against that of its major trading partners.
  • Money supply rose by 13.4% to $427.8 million over the year to November 2015 due to increases in net and domestic assets.
  • Household and personal lending is up to 17%, while non-performing loans are down to less than 7.7%
  • The tourism industry is expected to grow.

Pacific economies

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund says it expects positive growth for all South Pacific economies except Vanuatu.

In the past two financial years the Pacific economies have had a roller coaster ride. Papua New Guinea and Fiji have been in the lead, but in the coming year PNG will dominate. The Solomon Islands’ economy has grown, while Vanuatu’s is expected to beadly affecrted by cyclone damage.

The main points

  • Inflation is down, the economy is growing and there’s money in the bank.
  • That’s the news from the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, which says that Tonga has enjoyed a year of economic growth and there is more good financial news to come.
  • The Reserve Bank said the kingdom experienced 2.5% real DGP growth in 2014/15 and can expect stronger growth of 3.3% in the next financial year.
  • In a report to cabinet, the Reserve Bank said growth in 2014/15 was due to the general improvement in the economy, mainly driven by growth in the secondary and tertiary sectors

For more information

National Reserve Bank of Tonga

Tongan economy (Asian Development Bank)

Tongan economy (The Economist)

Auckland Mayoral Fund for the Pacific activated after Cyclone Winston

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Mayor Len Brown has expressed his condolences to the people of Fiji and Tonga in the wake of Cyclone Winston and has activated the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific on the advice of the fund’s advisory committee.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Cyclone Winston, and particularly the people of Fiji who have sustained loss of life and widespread damage. Our staff and Mayoral Fund committee members are working closely with our local Pacific communities and aid agencies on how best to help.”

Mayor Len Brown is urging Aucklanders keen to help Fijian communities hit by Cyclone Winston to donate to the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific, which is geared up and ready to help.

The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific Committee met last night. It agreed to launch an appeal and formed a taskforce to work with the community and coordinate the community response in Auckland.

The committee approved logistical support for the community response, involving the provision of containers to transport community donated goods to Fiji and Tonga.

“The community in Auckland is already mobilising to help those in need, and the Mayoral Fund will assist in this,” says Mr Brown. The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific was originally set up in the wake of the devastation caused in Samoa by 2012’s Cyclone Evan.

“If Aucklanders would like to contribute to the Fund, to help these communities, they can do so through the following channels. Cash is king, the most versatile way of helping immediately, and tax deductible donations to the Fund can be made at any time.”

The Fund is managed by Auckland Communities Foundation (ACF) and donations should be made through ACF as follows:

Via the ‘donate now’ function on the ACF website www.aucklandcf.org.nz
Via direct payment to the ACF bank account (with reference ‘MFP’ to ASB Bank account 12-3028-0714703-00)
Via cheque made payable to ‘Auckland Communities Foundation Mayoral Fund for the Pacific’ and sent to PO Box 26087, Epsom 1334
“We know people are keen to help, particularly our Pacific communities in Auckland, and donations to the Fund will help with immediate relief,” says Len Brown.

John Kotoisuva, chair of the committee and the committee’s representative for the Fijian community, and Jenny Salesa, MP, representative for the Tongan community, will be working closely with communities in Auckland.

They will hold public meetings with the Fijian and Tongan communities in the coming days. Details of these meetings are listed below.

Tongan couple  pleaded guilty in Canberra for theft and money laundering

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A former security company employee who stole more than $530,000 from four Canberra ATMs in one night gambled the money in multiple transactions, including a $53,000 bet on an AFL premiership.

Salesi Latu Toumo’ua, 29, pleaded guilty to theft, money laundering and four burglary charges stemming from his crimes when he appeared before Justice John Burns in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday.

Court documents said Toumo’ua worked as an ATM technician at G&A Security Services and was acting supervisor when he took keys to numerous St George bank ATMs from a safe at the company’s Weston office one night in May 2013.

He then drove to Charnwood shops, where he used the keys to open the security door to a St George bank ATM bunker and took more than $211,830 from two machines.

Toumo’ua drove to Mitchell, where he stole $246,150 from an ATM, and later to Wanniassa, where he pocketed $73,350 from another machine.

He is also alleged to have stolen $244,000 from an ATM at Riverside Plaza in Queanbeyan that same night. However, no charges have been laid over that incident.

In separate transactions, he gambled $71,461 in cash at nine different Tabcorp outlets in Melbourne in 24 hours.

Another day, he lost more than $16,000 while gambling at Melbourne’s Crown Casino.

In September, police searched the storage unit and seized items including a briefcase, more than 40 Tabcorp betting tickets, $193,782 in cash and a receipt from the Charnwood ATM.

Fingerprints matching Toumo’ua’s were found on the briefcase and tickets.

Salesi Toumo’ua’s partner, Siutaisa Helen Schaaf, 29, pleaded guilty to money laundering on Thursday.

According to court documents, she deposited more than $28,000 in numerous transactions into her own bank account in the five months to September 2013.

The pair will be sentenced in May.

Daniel Toumo’ua in 2015 pleaded guilty to possessing proceeds of crime in the ACT Magistrates Court and was placed on a good behaviour order.

– Canberra Times

VHF radio systems for Moʻungaʻone

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Tongan government has installed VHF radio systems in Moʻungaʻone to ensure the community can make fast communication and is timely warned if a tsunami hits.

The alert systems including a portable rain gauge and an outdoor siren-loudspeaker system were installed at the Mo’unga’one Primary School.

Tonga Met Service and town officer would use the system to communicate with locals when there is tsunami alert.

Moʻungaʻone
The outdoor siren-loudspeaker system. Photo/Tonga Government

The town officer can also use the outdoor siren-loudspeaker systems to make community annoncements.

The government personnel who were in the island to install the communication alert systems also conducted training sessions to show the community how to use the equipment effectively.

A statement from government says the initiative “is aimed at reducing the vulnerability of the Mounga’one Community livelihoods to Climate  Changes”.

The Partnership Pilot Project was coordinated by the Government of Tonga’s  Meteorology and Emergency Managements Departments, the Tonga Red Cross, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPREP), the Government of Finland (through the FINPAC Project) and UNESCO.

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