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Government clarifies plan to purchase local business’ heavy equipment

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tonga’s Ministry of Infrastructure’s plan to purchase used heavy equipment from a local business owner was made as one of the government’s move to increase road maintenance and construction.

The prices of the equipment were cheaper and affordable when compared to second-hand equipment in New Zealand.

The owner  has planned to give government free three heavy equipment if it purchased his equipment.

The Secretary for Finance Tatafu Moeaki has told Kanva News the government was in the process of procuring road maintenance equipment owned by Tomifa Paea.

Moeaki said they were waiting for the Ministry of Infrastructure (MOI) to provide them with ownership documentations of the equipment.

The cost was expected to be at TP$500,000 and Moeaki said it was above the thresholds and because of that it has to go through government’s procurement process.

He said his Ministry was ccurrently engaging ASCO Motors, a reputable local Toyota company to provide valuation of those equipment to consider against the value brought up by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

“As part of this work, we will be interested in the equipment utilizations to date, maintenance records and ASCO’s independent valuation.

“Our assessment will have to be satisfied with the value for money of the purchase, and that the purchase will be a good deal to commit Government to on the condition that, the Ministry of Infrastructure complies with our requirements by regulations,” Moeaki said.

In a statement MOI said road maintenance was one of the public huge demands that had been raised in Parliament from time to time and in letters of petition they received from the people.

In the past only Tongatapu the main island has proposed and regular scheduled road maintenance programmes and nothing for the outer islands, the MOI said.

The main problem the Ministry was currently facing was lack of equipment for the work and some islands including ‘Eua, Tongatapu and the Niuas have equipment but they were outdated and apparently no longer working.

MOI said they sent two mechanics to New Zealand last month to see if government could purchase second hand equipment for the work but they found out the prices were too expensive compared to the prices offered by Tomifa Paea.

If the government would go ahead and purchase Paea’s equipment he would give three heavy equipment free, the statement said.

‘Aisea To’a withdraws his lawsuit against Hon Lavulavu

By
Kaniva Staff
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‘Aisea Silivenusi To’a, one of two plaintiffs who filed lawsuits against Tonga’s Ministry of Infrastructure  and Tourism, Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu withdrew his legal action, a court document said.

To’a was plaintiff number two in the election petition “with prejudice” and his withdrawal was made on October 6, the document said. The first plaintiff was Dr Viliami Uasikē Lātū.

“That as of today that my decision and action to withdraw as plaintiff number 2 is independently sound to the best of my knowledge to this election petition,” the document said.

“That is only fair that I withdrew my lawsuit against Etuate Sungalu Lavulavu as I don’t have confident of this election petition”.

Dr Latu and To’a ran as candidates for Vavaʻu 16 last year but they were defeated by Hon Lavulavu.

In a press release released to Kaniva News this afternoon it said To’a was co-plaintiff with Dr Viliami Uasike Latu in launching the election petition alleging that Lavulavu breached the election laws.

To’a said he was approached by Dr Latu and asked  to join him in his attemp to sue Hon. Lavulavu after the election.

The statement said the trio all come from Leimatu’a in Vava’u and they are blood related.

Their case was believed to be the first in the history of Tonga to have three candidates from same village who competed as parliamentary candidates and eventually ended up in court because some of them did not accept the consequences of defeat they experienced after the election campaign.

Serious crash at Tufumahina royal residence, driver and passengers fled scene

By
Kaniva Staff
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The driver and passengers of a car that crashed into the fence of the royal residence in Tufumahina this morning had allegedly fled the scene.

An eye witnessed who did not want to be identified told Kaniva News the accident happened at about 11am when the car veered off and almost hit one of the two tiger statues that stand by the main entrance of the residence on Taufa’ahau rd.

It then flipped and rolled over landing between one of the statues and the fence.

Police have yet to respond to our request for comments.

Tragic teen Jessica Kiutau laid to rest in Manukau Memorial Garden

By
Kaniva Staff
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There were moving scenes today as the body of tragic teenager Jessica Kiutau was laid to rest in Manukau, Memorial Garden.

The 17-year-old was found dead at her South Auckland home in mysterious circumstances last weekend although the family have an explanation to those who attended her funeral about what they believed had caused their loved one to leave them so early.

Kaniva understands it would take time for the authority to officially determine the cause of Jessica’s death.

Hundreds of family and friends gathered to say their farewell to the young woman this morning in a farewell service that began with a Mass at the Holy Cross Church in Papatoetoe.

Laid to rest in a black coffin, a single picture of Ms Kiutau was placed by her coffin by her parents Ponita and Lolesio Kiutau.

Many of young teen’s schoolmates from McAuley High School held back their tears as her remains arrived at the church and at the cemetery.

Many wore their school uniforms and held up photos of the late teen. Some of them carried Jessica’s coffin from the church to a waiting black hearse before she was taken to the cemetery.

At the cemetery the students performed an emotional Maori Haka to honour their school mate while families and friends wept the last moment before Jessica was laid to rest.

Many took to Facebook including friends and relatives who said the family were trying to come to terms with their loss.

Jessica’s death has left a huge void at the heart of our whole family, one family commentator said on Facebook.

Seini Vito Wairasi said Jessica was a “quiet and well-behaved girl”.

Government saves TP$1.6 million of King’s coronation celebration by careful cost cutting

By
Kalino Latu
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King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u on their coronation day. Photo/Edwina Pickles (Fairfax Media)

The coronation of King Tupou VI cost taxpayers TP$1.6 million (NZ$1 million) less than expected, the Prime Minister’s office has announced.

The savings were the result of careful cost cutting on everything from free travel to flowers.

The Prime Minister’s Office said King Tupou’s coronation had been expected to cost TP$5.2 million (NZ$3.6 million), but had only cost TP$3.6 million (NZ$2.5 million).

The savings contrasted with the TP$10 million (NZ$7  million) spent on the coronation of the  late King George VI.

The money spent came from TP$1.9 million (NZ$1.3 million) from the Palace Office and TP$1.7 million (NZ$1.2 million) from the government and Cabinet Coronation Committees, which were chaired by the Prime Minister.

Tonga Revenue, Custom and Immigration Ministry’s CEO ‘Anisi Bloomfield told Kaniva News the coronation had been widely seen as a success and an encouragement to the government’s policy of cutting as much as possible unnecessary spending of public funds.

Bloomfield was a member of the committee which monitored the funding of the event. He said the government’s partner organisations and businesses worked very well together to make the event a great success.

He said the government cut funding for matters they believed would not affect the coronation.

Overtime payment for drivers was cut and petrol use was recorded and closely monitored.

Vehicle rentals were reduced and for the most part government vehicles were used instead.

Free travel for people from the outer islands was restricted to a certain number of travellers and other travellers had to pay for themselves.

During the coronation of George VI the government gave outer islanders free travel to Tongatapu to participate in the celebration.

The government also reduced spending on the renovation of the Centenary Chapel where the crowning took place and agreed to equally share the costs with the Free Wesleyan Church,

They also cut the spending on certain occasions, including the special dressing for those who were awarded medals. For instance, the kahoa kakala (necklaces of flowers) given to guests at royal events normally cost TP$200 (NZ$140) each.

They also reduced spending on communication and media and the amount of fireworks used.

“The success of the Coronation is due to the effective collaboration between Government Ministries and the public at large from Tonga and abroad,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The main points

  • The coronation of King Tupou VI cost taxpayers TP$1.6 million less than expected, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced.
  • The savings were the result of careful cost cutting on everything from free travel to flowers.
  • The Prime Minister’s Office said King Tupou’s wedding had been expected to cost TP$5.2 million, but had only cost TP$3.6 million.
  • The savings contrasted with the TP$10 million spent on the coronation of the late King George VI.

For more information

Tonga crowns King Tupou VI in lavish public coronation, parties (ABC)

Family heartbroken at death of Tongan teen

By
Kaniva Staff
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A Tongan family in South Auckland have been left heartbroken at the loss of a 17-year-old teenage girl whose cause of death has yet to be determined by authority.

Jessica Kiutau the eldest daughter of Lolesio and Benita Kiutau was found dead at her home in Papatoetoe yesterday Saturday, October 31.

According to a family member, Emergency Services were called in and an intensive first aid effort was made to revive her before she was taken to hospital.

Her aunt Sr Kalala Taufa Kiutau has confirmed her death to Kaniva News last night.

She also wrote on Facebook after she received the news: “Kiutau family is a big family…..but we failed to help and save our niece….a cousin….and an aunt to grand nieces and grand nephews”.

“Jessica will be missed for her deep love of children…..she had a great sense of humour”.

King agrees to set up royal commission to investigate Tonga’s passport scandal

By
Kaniva Staff
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His Majesty King Tupou VI assented to a move by Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s government to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the Tongan passport scandal.

This has been confirmed to Kaniva News by Tonga’s Minister of Police, Hon Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa.

Hon Tuʻiʻonetoa said when the new government approached the king recently and asked for His assent to the commission His Majesty told them he had already approved the Royal Commission in 2014.

But the former government delayed establishing the commission because they had queries about it and wanted to make another proposal to the king.

The former government was ousted in last Novermbers’ general election before the royal commission was set up.

Dr Tuʻiʻonetoa, who was talking to us from the Cook Islands last week while attending a meeting said they expected to meet in two week times to set up the commission.

Kaniva previously reported that:

Tuʻiʻonetoa, Tonga’s former General Auditor believed the commission’s inquiry would help bring many answers to questions that had gone unanswered for years regarding the sale and issuing  of Tongan passports particularly to foreigners.

The Tongan passport scandal  

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva News  last year that a passport scandal allegedly involving the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 was one of  the two biggest he had come across in the past three years.

His claim came after audited documents leaked to New Zealand media, including Kaniva News, showed a table headed “Summary of holders of ordinary passport with no naturalisation certificate during audit period”.

A list of 12 Chinese nationals was then displayed  in the table.

The documents also noted that when the auditor asked the Immigration Department to explain why Chinese nationals were being given Tongan passports without holding naturalisation certificate as the law requires, he was told “the direction was given from higher authority.”

 No law

When the Auditor’s office urged the Attorney General to charge the people involved, his office said they could not do anything because there was no law that could be used to launch a prosecution.

Tongan passports were issued illegally to Asians in the 1980s. In 1999 the sale of the Tongan passports was stopped, with the government saying it had sold almost 7000 passports to Asians for almost US$40 million (TP277 million/NZ$181 million).

The termination of the sales came after ‘Akilisi Pohiva, who was then an opposition Parliamentarian, launched a lawsuit against the government for selling the passports. The government then changed the kingdom’s constitution to allow the sale.

The then king, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, decided the money needed to be invested overseas, saying that if it was deposited in Tonga “the government would only spend it on roads.”

The money was invested in a number of overseas funds at the suggestion of financial adviser Jesse Bogdonoff, a former Bank of America official who had been named as the king’s jester. In still disputed circumstances, most of the money that had been invested in the Tongan Trust Fund was lost.

Fraud with fake papers, four charged

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Four men accused of using fake birth certificate and other documents to obtain a passport from Immingration are facing several forgery and deception charges in Nukuʻalofa.

Tonga’s Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Unga Fa’aoa has confirmed an investigation was launched earlier this month after Police received complaint concerning a suspicious passport application.

It was alleged the suspect was non-Tongan and he or she used forged Tongan birth certificate in the application.

The accused were facing charges of forgery, knowingly dealing with forged documents, illegal access and interference with course of justice.

The four accused will appear at the Magistrate Court on Monday November 9, 2015.

As the matter is before court police were unable to comment further.

‘Ikale Tahi received Aoniu donations, but not the amount they were promised

By
Kalino Latu
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L-R: Tonga’s TRU Chair ‘Epeli Taione and CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho.

The ‘Ikale Tahi players finally received the money promised for representing the kingdom in the Rugby World Cup, but it wasn’t the amount they were promised.

Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho has apologised to the national team and said he would balance out everything after the tournament.

Kitekei’aho admitted that he and TRU sometimes became emotional and told the team things they would do for them, but in the end could not keep to their promise.

TRU and Aoniu had announced that TP$75,919 would be distributed among the team, but in the end about TP$50,000 was sent.

Kaniva News understands the shortfall consisted of TP$25,000 the TRU said had been donated by Tonga Power Ltd.

Tonga Power Ltd told us this morning they would respond to our request for comment on their donation early next week and said they had asked for a report from TRU about their money.

Aoniu representative Hon Semisi Sika, who is also Chair of Whole House Committee,  told Kaniva News  their Aoniu committee did not receive Tonga Power Ltd’s donation and so they decided to deduct it from the amount that was announced, the balance was sent to the players.

READ MORE

Some of the players told us they only received part of the money announced by the Aoniu after the fundraising dinner.

TRU Chair ‘Epeli Taione told Kaniva News the money was paid to the players included a top up payment of TP$1000 to each players when they competed against Argentina and the All Blacks.

When questioned about Tonga Power’s donation and why the amount dispersed was not what was officially announced on the night of the fund-raising dinner, Taione said: “Maau mea Kotoa ne top aki e vahe tamaiki taki taha afe he tau mo asenitina pea top up 1 afe tupu he tau mo nz. Maau kotoa I ai e fkmatala paanga kotoa ki heni he ofisi Union”.

Translated:

“Everything went as planned. It was paid as top up on the boys’ pay by one thousand each when they played against Argentina and New Zealand. All done there is financial statement for this at the Union’s Office”.

In a message written in Tongan and sent through Facebook to the ‘Ikale Tahi players in England seen by Kaniva News, the players were told there were problems with trying to immediately release the money to them because there were repeated delays when trying to collect the sales made by Taione.

The message also said TRU were not forthcoming with players’ bank accounts in which Aoniu required so they can disperse the money directly to the players.

Meanwhile, the Rugby Union CEO told the team that even after he signed off on their wages on August 17, there was a problem with the Ministry of Internal Affair, upon which the TRU relied financially.

Kitekei’aho said the team was told by its manager, Soape Tu’iono, that each player would get TP$2,000 after each game during the tournament, but that Tu’iono did not get the money.

He said he would send each player TP$3,000 to cover two weeks’s wages.

After that the players’ pay would be increased to TP$2000 each week until the end of the World Cup, the CEO wrote. He claimed he was trying to get TP$3000 for each player and would take it from there when Ikale Tahi got into the quarter finals.

Kitekei’aho did not respond to our request for comments.

Tonga was defeated by New Zealand, Argentina and Georgia, but beat Namibia 35-21 and now ranks13th.  On the official Rugby World Cup page, replica Tongan jerseys are still selling for £990, but beanies have been reduced to £5.

The main points

  • The ‘Ikale Tahi players have finally received the money promised for representing the kingdom in the Rugby World Cup, but it wasn’t the amount they were promised.
  • Tonga Rugby Union CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho has apologised to the national team and said he would balance out everything after the tournament.
  • Kitekei’aho admitted that he and TRU sometimes became emotional and told the team things they would do for them, but in the end could not keep to their promise.
  • Tonga Rugby Union had announced that TP$75,919 would be distributed among the team, but in the end about TP$50,000 was sent.

Hahake foreshore structures may show way in fighting coastal erosion in the Pacific islands

By
Kalino Latu
-

 Tongan authorities claim the new foreshore structures launched in the Hahake area could provide a new approach for addressing the problem of coastal erosion caused by climate change.

The two structures are known as sedi-tunnel groynes and detached-breakwaters.

They have been used successfully in Europe and some parts of the United States.

Manu Manuofetoa, the National Co-ordinator of the project said the sedi-tunnel groynes consisted of cement boxes erected off the coast of Makaunga and Talafo’ou.

They were intended to interrupt the flow of sand from Afa,  Kolonga, Manuka and Navutoka.

The groynes create beaches and prevent sands from being washed away by longshore drift.

Manuofetoa said the detached-breakwater was a 20 metre concrete coast-parallel structure erected at Manuka coastal area. The concrete structures were laid 10 metres apart from each other. They were designed to break the strong currents from hitting the coast.

Manuofetoa said the breakers collected sand and debris drifting along the sea coast, but they also hindered the strong current from eroding the beach.

The EU-funded Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Island States programme has offered about TP$1.3 million (NZ$890,000) to fund the project.

The project also includes a new children’s playground on Manuka beach.

Manuofetoa said the people of the areas warmly welcomed the project by preparing a feast to welcome the Prime Minister and government officials as well as representatives from the EU, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community GCCA and villagers on the day the programme was launched.

The new structures are part of an €11.4 million (NZ$19 million/TP$27 million) Pacific-wide programme including the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu.

Coastal zone management is one of a range of projects. Other areas dealt with under the programme include agriculture, health, infrastructure, overall development and poverty reduction, water and sanitation.

The main points

  • Tongan authorities claim the new foreshore structures launched in the Hahake area could show the way in addressing the problems of coastal erosion caused by climate change.
  • The two structures are known as sedi-tunnel groynes and detached-breakwaters.
  • Manu Manuofetoa, the National Co-ordinator of the project said the structures were intended to interrupt the flow of sand from Afa, Kolonga, Manuka and Navutoka.
  • The groynes create beaches and prevent sands from being washed away by longshore drift.

For more informationn 

Buying Time Tonga – GCCA (Pacific Secretariat)

The fight to save Tongatapu’s coastline (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

Global Climate Change Alliance (European Commission)

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