Tongan businesses struggle to pay rising fees and taxes, MPs told
Sunday, October 9, 2011 - 15:10
The government's need to increase its revenue collection was the reason behind increases of up to 700 percent in compulsory government licensing and service fees that had been variously brought into force over the last two years, Tonga's Chamber of Commerce was told on October 5, at a public consultation with some members of parliamentary standing committees.
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Hon. Minister whispers: I
Hon. Minister whispers: I wasn't there - Lopeti Senituli: In case some of your readers are interested, I did take up the Hon Minister of Police's offer to ". . . whisper in my ear", as reported in your article, above. To recollect, I had asked the Hon Minister, Lisiate 'Akolo, as to why some businesses who had their licences revoked by the Ministry of Labour, Comerce and Industries under his watch because of fraudulent breaches of Government laws and regulations (such as Golden Success) are being allowed to re-open.
The Hon Minister replied that the decision to allow those businesses to re-open was made by Cabinet, and as he is committed to the "collective responsibility" of Cabinet he was bound by that decision. When pressed for more information he replied he could not divulge any more information in public but was willing to whisper in my ear after the meeting. At the end of the meeting the Hon Minister "whispered" that Cabinet's decision to allow businesses whose licences were revoked to re-open, was done whilst he, as Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, was not in Nuku'alofa. He did not offer any other information.
I have since written to the new Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon 'Isileli Pulu, who had also been present at the public consultation, seeking the reasons for the Cabinet's decision. I have not received a reply as yet.
Malo 'aupito! Lopeti Senituli