Confiscated meat destroyed [1]
Monday, December 24, 2007 - 19:14. Updated on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 - 16:36.
Highlights from Tonga's newspapers, December 17-20, 2007. An English translation summary by Tevita Fonua.
The manager of the Ministry of Agriculture Quarantine Division Sione Foliaki denies, in the Taimi on December 17, rumours that meat they confiscate at the airport is given to residents of the Alonga Centre. He said it is dumped or buried.
Cabinet has approved a 56% increase in school fees for all government secondary schools; as well as the Tonga Institute of Education and the Institute of Higher Learning. This is due to the burgeoning cost of operating them, to the government.
The Talaki on December 19 reports that Toma'akino Mafi of Matahau is claiming that it is himself in the photo outside the burning Shoreline office. The boy in the photo was previously identified as the late Senituli Tauki'uvea, and alleged by the Kele'a to have been beaten, before being thrown into the inferno. Both Toma'akino and Senituli wore clothes of similar colour on that day.
The Kele'a on December 20 says, that it received complaints from many of its readers at the absence of the Tongan flag during the funeral of Tavake Fusimalohi, given his long-standing service to the government and the country, that spanned 43 years.
The Kalonikali on December 20 quoted Dr Luisi Fonua as saying that there have been 37 cases of dengue fever between June and December 3.
The Kalonikali also reports that Prime Minister has agreed to bear the cost of chartering a boat, so that families of two missing fishermen can send a team of divers to look for them. The government has called off its own search.
According to the Taimi on December 20, the PM declines to be paid for his membership in six different boards. This is contrary to accusations by the group called the Demos, that he is drawing tens of thousands of pa'anga for his participation in these boards