From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 2, August 2003.

Tonga’s dive into cigarette manufacturing was short-lived when a new tobacco factory was closed by the Ministry of Health only two days after opening on July 5.

The factory built at the Small Industries Centre in Nuku‘alofa, did not comply with requirements of Tonga’s Environmental Health unit.

Tefoto Ma‘usia of Environmental Health said that the factory had not told them that they were to start operations, and the company had not completed the health registration, which required an inspection to be carried by the Ministry of Health.

“We did not know that the factory had already started operating until we got a report saying that one of the local shops near the hospital was selling the ‘Kuonga’ cigarettes. So we stopped the sales and closed the factory,” he said.

Tefoto said that until the tobacco factory complied with their health regulations, for the workers and the products, it would remain closed.

The Ministry of Health was not the only government department that was surprised by the local sales of cigarettes.

Sione Vailanu of the Business License section of the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries, confirmed that the tobacco factory had not been granted a trading licence to sell its products locally.

He said that the only license granted was a Development and Trading License which allowed them to manufacture tobacco products in Tonga, “But under one condition, which was for export only,” said Sione.

The Development license was granted to the factory to supporting the setting up, with exemptions on capital goods that were brought into Tonga.

‘Utuone of the Development License Department said that the penalty for breaching a license could be that Treasury might be informed to order the reimbursement of the exemptions that were granted to the company.

She added that the last resort of this type of case would be the abolishment of the license.