Tonga’s inter-island ferry MV ‘Otuanga’ofa arrived in Nuku’alofa this morning, 6 April, after it underwent six months of maintenance in New Zealand. The ship arrived in Auckland in September 2022. The maintenance work involved fixing major faults. FISA office stated today the inter-island ferry service is expected to start next week to Ha’apai and Vava’u. MV ‘Otuanga’oa is the largest ferry vessel operating from Nuku’alofa to the outer islands of Tonga.
Author: Newsdesk
A new partnership between Lotopoha Export Trading and Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus) will see a multi-purpose packhouse built in the Easter District of Tongatapu, for root crops export. The facility will serve as a processing and packing facility for both frozen and fresh produce. The Eastern District is the main supplier of the country’s total root crops exports. “We’re proud of our continued collaboration with PHAMA Plus to establish the packhouse facility and improve our export capacity to meet the minimum requirements for food safety where fresh produce from our farmers can be processed,…
Tonga continues to battle drug offenses mostly to do with methamphetamine, but cocaine has also been a problem that has been known to be trans-shipped via Tonga. A boatload of cocaine was found washed ashore on a beach in the Northern Island of Vava’u in 2021. 36kgs of cocaine was found on the beach, valued at US$8.2 million dollars. Eight locals were arrested in connection with the cocaine, and this week were sentenced at the Tonga Supreme Court with sentences ranging from 13 and half years imprisonment for the leading accused to three years for another, and fully suspended sentence…
Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, has pledged his government will repeal the draconian media laws that put Fiji at the bottom of the Press Freedom Index for countries of the Pacific. The laws are restrictive on critical news reports of the Government, issuing heavy fines and prison sentences on any who breach these laws. Media organizations can also be penalized with heavy fines. Fiji media have been at the mercies of these laws for the past 13 years. Mr. Rabuka told Fiji’s Parliament, “this is not a pledge to amend but to totally repeal these laws.”
A man from Houma is still missing despite search for him in the southern seas of Tongatapu. Siale Havea, 44, was with a group diving off the coast of Houma and Ha’akame on Friday evening, 31 March. Police were called to the scene after Havea failed to resurface from where they were.
Tonga’s inter-island ferry, the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa has departed Auckland on Saturday 1 April for Nuku’alofa. The Government-owned vessel which served the outer islands of Tonga has been in Auckland for repair since September 2022. The ship is expected to arrive in Nuku’alofa on Friday 7 April. The MV ‘Otuanga’ofa was a gift from the Japanese Government in 2010 to replace the MV Ashika which sank with the loss of 74 lives.
Government may not allow any other airlines to operate in Tonga to compete with Lulutai Airlines. This was the indication in a leaked letter from the Ministry of Infrastructure. Even though the letter from the Ministry of Infrastructure stated there is an open market for domestic air services, it also affirms the fact that the policy is restricted to Tongan-based air operators. The CEO of Fly Niu, ‘Atu Finau, said of the letter: “It means they will not approve any other airline to compete with them”. The Minister of Infrastructure, Sevenitini Toumoua, is also the Minister for Civil Aviation. Real…
Tonga has lifted the requirement to have COVID-19 vaccination proof for all foreign travelers arriving in the country. The Prime Minister’s Office on 31 March stated that Cabinet has approved the Open Border Policy Framework. The requirement for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all foreign travelers arriving in Tonga has been removed. COVID-19 cases in Tonga and around Pacific Island countries have dropped in the last six months, prompting the Ministry of Health’s proposal to remove the requirement for proof of vaccination. In September 2022, Tonga lifted most of its health requirements, resulting in full border re-opening for both air and…
By Denghua Zhang Beijing has taken steps to increase its influence in the island region at the same time as its aid levels decline. SYDNEY, 08 NOVEMBER 2022 (DEVPOLICY.ORG) -China is now a principal donor in the Pacific alongside traditional development partners. Demonstrating its aid commitment to the region, China recently mobilized its navy and air forces, embassies in Tonga and Fiji, and Chinese state-owned enterprises to deliver relief supplies to Tonga in the wake of a volcanic eruption and tsunami disaster that hit the country in January 2022. Chinese aid pledges to Solomon Islands are even more prominent. In…
NUKU’ALOFA, 01 NOVEMBER 2022 (TONGA WIRES): King Tupou VI is expected to deliver Tonga’s Statement at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in November. Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said the King will deliver the statement at this global high-level climate change meeting. A delegation from Tonga, which will also include Hon Hu’akavameiliku, who is also acting Minister for Climate Change (MEIDECC) will attend and discuss issues including working together with other Pacific Islands to better key issues concerning us, including ways to withstand natural disasters and climate change and…