Editor,


Thank you for providing the opportunities for the people of Tonga and elsewhere to conduct healthy debate.

I refer to the letter of Mr. Sione Ake Mokofisi dated 1st February 2007.

I fully support Mr. Sione Ake Mokofisi's statements regarding the critical nature of Shoreline'’s service to our country and do not deny that the Government must do everything it can to ensure that the people of Tonga have access to electricity both now and into the future.

However with all due respect to Mr Sione Mokofisi, he has missed the point.

The point is that in every action that the Government of Tonga takes it must be accountable and transparent. If it is not ...– this mere short fall alone will inhibit the rebuilding of our beloved country and society.

How can we compare the actions and procedures of the United States Congress in approving US Federal government loans (totaling almost US$10 billion) to domestic airline carriers following September 11, 2001 to those actions of the Government of Tonga in providing a “‘loan’’ to Shoreline?

The answer is we cant ...– First of all, as far as I am aware, no member of the US Congress or the Air Transportation Stabilisation Board, established by the US Congress to implement the loan guarantees, has had widespread conflicts of interest or internal business associations with the domestic Airline Companies in question.

Secondly the loans to the Airline Companies were conditional ...– in that Congress demanded, amongst other things, that the Airline Companies who wanted to access the loan scheme had to provide viable business plans and commit to cutting the costs of air travel.

Thirdly, the United States Government has established checks and balances to ensure that any misappropriation of Federal Government loans would (hopefully) be detected.

Mr. Mokofisi must have confused our government with that of another country when he claims that ...“Shoreline does not have the luxury of charging any rates they wish without the scrutinizing eyes of Government...…...” Can I please direct your readers to the insightful analysis of the shadowy workings and dealings of power supply in Tonga involving members of the Royal Family, the Government, and their associates by Mele Payne Lynch in her letter to you on 15 May 2006 titled ...“$60 Million Pa'anga for Royal Power: The Overture to a Tsunami...”.


Editor, my previous letter intended to extract information from the Government, information that I believe the citizens of Tonga are entitled to, to reach a better understanding of the government process in its important decision to secure power sustainability for Tonga, not to ...“incite another terror act...” as ignorantly charged by Mr. Mokofisi.


I look forward to many more Tongan citizens feeling that it is their right and duty to continue enquiring into the actions of our Government. Transparency and accountability...… is that too much to ask for?


Faka'’apa'’apa atu

Viliami Lakasi

vililaka [at] yahoo [dot] com