Tonga needs an economic reform [1]
Thursday, March 29, 2007 - 18:30. Updated on Sunday, April 13, 2014 - 19:33.
Editor,
I have been digging through my upper-brain-housing-group for a way to help Tonga after your "Tongan fight for survival". I called up political analyst from my days at the University. I also had a long conversation with a trusted Financial Advisers. There is problem in Tonga from both school of thoughts. There seems to be a consensus that tthe priority of a plan to implement right away in our home country is economic in nature.
Mr. Alipate Sanft and his Demo Supporters still think it is political change that will turn things around in Tonga. I disagree and will explain why.
It was the famous Nausaimone who coined the phrase, "Ko hoku ivi ko e konga seniti, ka 'oku pa'anga 'e taha e tokolahi hoku famili. A prophetic saying for Tonga at this time. In the late 1960's my father was paid the equivalent of TP$34 every two weeks from his work at the TCC at Havelu. This money managed to support our family I guess until my brother, a sister and I entered high school. We had to pay tuition now. Primary school was free. The demand on my parents has increased by 50% every two weeks while my Dad's wages remained at $34 over the same two weeks. My Dad took some cost cutting measures. It included changing our religion to avoid having to pay tithing as Mormons. Movies and any entertainment that would cost money was prohibited and was explained away as keeping us from and early exposure to the evils of the world. I had to wear uniform to school that was anything close to gray but the real gray school color. There was no lunch in our schedule. Still my father could not make ends meet. My Mom who had a formal education was asked to management the family's income. We still have to "piliki" (a term for picking ripe coconut from the coconut tree before they fall to the ground) to sell at Havelu to pay for our tuition.
Nausaimone's economic condition kicks in to my family when we grew up. I understood early in life that religion and politic were irrelevant to our family's situation because at the end of the day our demand increase while our supply / income remains at $34 every two weeks.
You got it right Mr. Sanft, the Tonga's budget is pretty much dry. What you and your Demo friends do not seems to see is that regardless of the form of government you insisted of installing in Tonga, it will have to deal with a budget that is pretty much dry. I am not too sure because you and your friends have never been definitive on the type of system you insist on Tonga. But the early indication your Demo system is not going to solve Tonga's problem either. As a matter of fact, the Demo System created Tonga's current problem by forcing the 60%, 70%, and 80% pay raise. And then apply the last straw to break the camel's back when turn around and burn down the businesses that were going to finance this pay raise.
I holla Mr. Sanft when you called for worthy democracy player. Your boyz from the old school are too busy trying to get their ass out of jail ought to stay in jail. Their action on 16/11 took the demo movement back in time, leaving the rest of us to fight an uphill battle that will take years to recover what we have accomplished. Some of your old boyz lost their mind long time ago and should have been encouraged to retire. At the beginning of this 21 century, the demo boyz were irritations. They became problems as soon as they gathered a little power and on 16/11 they were disastrous. Tonga is monumentally screwed and the Demo has to answer for that.
On the way back from Desert Storm I asked my first seargent, a former Viet Nam veteran, whether the Lord will ever forgive us for what we have done. "Don't worry Sir, the Lord don't know, because he left us long time ago", he said. Mr. Sanft and the Demos, do you think the Lord will ever forgive us for what we have done to each other and to our beloved country? Well, may be, just may be, that is why we have been so unkind to each other. The Lord left us long time ago.
Sione Lousiale Kava