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A collection of news-briefs from The Tonga Chronicle, Lao & Hia, Taimi 'o Tonga, Ko e Kele'a, Radio Tonga. For more details of these stories, feel invited to buy a paper from one of the locations mentioned in our media pages http://www.tongatapu.net.to/tonga/news/media/default.htm

In October 1995, two Russian Mi-17 helicopters were brought to Tonga by Dr Sam Ling Wong. To date, they have not flown since delivery due to a failure to obtain licensing, authorisation.

The Tonga Chronicle publishes a report of an Australian firm (Euro Trade Corp. of Melbourne) offering to service and set air worthy the helicopters. Taimi 'o Tonga publishes displeasure by the investment company Aviafininvest Group (Barcelona, Spain) which funded the supply of the helicopters for non payment by Dr. Wong.

The Chronicle report paints a rosy picture with the potential for the helicopters to be air worthy by July, if Dr. Wong will pay $10,000 for 11 technicians to come to the kingdom (deposit or full payment is unclear). Dr. Leon Tseitlin, Pres. of Euro Trade, is confident his technicians and crew can have the helicopter up and ready in four working days.

Meanwhile Dr. Wong is pre-occupied with the work in progress on his Fua'amotu Hotel now occupying 26 Thai workers, with a planned 50 further to arrive mid June. Dr. Wong promises to employ 200 Tongans to work in the finished project.

Tonga will take an unscheduled vacation from June 4-9 to help Tonga High School celebrate their 50^th anniversary.

Unfortunately for businesses, the government decided to make the announcement about the national holiday on June 2^nd, mere days before the vacation. Although workers and employers are happy with the proposed day of rest, business leaders are unhappy with the lost business from such an unorganised running of government. Many businesses with stock coming at the warf and airport will just have to wait out until the next week.

Continuing the 'exposes' about lost revenue to the government (people of Tonga) from botched duty free monitoring, Taimi 'o Tonga presents some interesting assertions and statistics. The paper is not clear how they determined the estimated lost revenue of $11 million.

Regarding trade in duty free goods the following has been observed:

In 1996, 55% of cigarettes in Tonga entered duty free compared to only 21% in 1992.
In 1996, 30% of other tobacco products in Tonga entered duty free compared to only 1% in 1992.
In 1996, 95% of alcohol in Tonga entered duty free compared to only 25% in 1992.

Comparitive pricing, a bottle of Gin bought in New Zealand for $2.00 attracts a $25.00 duty making it a buy cost of $27.00 while its retail price is only $30.00. This is a significant opportunity for 'arbitrage'.

Assertions in the press are that unscrupulous businesses are receiving these duty free goods with possible connivance or indifference of customs officials. There is a general call by Taimi 'o Tonga and Kele'a for a proper assessment, inquiry into matters by the police.

Don McKinnon NZs Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Mr Tau Henare NZ Minister for Maori affairs are to be in Tonga handing out money. NZ$50,000 towards replacement of primary-school resources lost or damaged by cyclone Hina.

Tonga High School's Golden Jubilee will enjoy a full week of non-school activities celebrating the glorious past of the school. Festivities are expected to involve many senior government officials who were students at the school during its formative years.

Taimi 'o Tonga's publisher released the first commemorative publication with articles on former staff members, students as well as current staff and student information.

• 'Apifo'ou library recieves T$1,200 worth of books and T$2,000 for the computer project from the British High Commission.
• Dr Ian Stratton lead a team of orthopaedic surgeons who performed corrective surgeries on 18 babies at Vaiola Hospital. In all, 24 feet were surgically corrected.
• April consumer price index up 0.5%
• Postage stamps released on April 28 commemorated the arrival here on April 10, 1797 of the Duff which had sailed from England with the first ten representatives of the London Missionary Society to profoundly change the pacific. A Niuafo'ou four-colour set was issued featuring interesting and bizarre plants and animals as seen through a microscope.
• Freedom of Speech at work ? Salesi Maketi Kauvaka of Vava'u residing in Fahefa has taken his voice to publishing his own paper "Tala-kei-Kapa" which had its first release at Vava'u to coincide with the arrival of thousands of delegates at the annual Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga conference.

• USP posts, plenty, please check http://www.usp.ac.fj to see if it is listed on their web server.

[ref: http://www.tongatapu.net.to]
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