The Government of Tonga has a lot of money [1]
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 23:07. Updated on Sunday, May 25, 2014 - 21:24.
Editor,
In response to the Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa's letter of March 30, 2010; I think he is very right. It is ridiculous to impede the help that the poor tsunami victims of Niuatoputapu need by imposing the gifts taxes and/or custom duties on those two containers of non-cash donations from the people of American Samoa. You are not the only one, Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa, who experiences this problem. We too here in the States experience the same. I think something has to be done about this. The help to the poor people is too important to overlook with red tapes, games, and lack of concerns.
As I read the Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa's letter, I decided to look up the laws in Tonga for taxes on gifts. I could not find one on gift taxes/custom duties, but I found the Custom and Exercise Act 7 (1) which read, "It shall be lawful for the King in Council from time to time to order - (a) to impose import or export duties of customs upon any goods whatsoever which may be imported into . . . the Kingdom and to revoke, suspend, reduce, increase or alter any such duties, and to provide for the importation and exportation of any goods without payment of customs duty thereto."
If my interpretations of this law is right, I suggest to you, Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa, to make a plea to King Tupou V to revoke and/or suspend all the taxes or custom duties on those two containers and have the Government of Tonga shipped them to the people of Niuatoputapu without any costs to you guys. I think this is the least that the Government of Tonga can do to her people. It's about time it does something good for a change.
I know that the Controller/Chief of Customs may say that the handling of the two containers costs money. That there is no laws to exclude such gifts from taxes and/or custom duties. That there are limits to exclusion from taxes/custom duties on gifts. That the Government of Tonga is poor and needs money to function. That he/she has no right to make new laws although he/she has discretion to revoke/suspend custom duties he/she sees fit. That the two containers have warehouse handling and storage costs although I do not see these because I have seen containers at Queen Salote Wharf not sitting in a warehouse but out in the open on the wharf. That the two containers have costs to handle on the wharf. And whatever! Whatever! Please give me a break!
Whatever the excuses that the Government of Tonga will come up with for levying taxes/custom duties on such donations, I still believe that the bottom line is : the Government of Tonga has a moral obligation to help her people who are in need. Forget about the costs! I know the costs is important. Not at this time! Just help! The donors in the foreign countries did not worry too much about the costs when they make their donations. Please don't charge these generous people with more taxes/custom duties for doing charities for the people of Tonga. They wanted to help! This is what it counts! We are dealing here with the lives of human beings! Not anything else! And please excuse me for the implication. Not as you may think. But like Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa, I am deeply concerned at how the Government of Tonga is, at times, treating her people. Unconscionable at times! What happens to the love of God and our neighbors? Others may not need this help, but the people of Niuatoputapu does!
Members of Parliament, excuse me for my appearance of disrespect to you, but what are you doing for the interests of your people? Can't you change the law to get this help quickly to the people of Niuatoputapu? Can't you change the law to levy no more taxes/custom duties on future donations to the people of Tonga who need help in emergency disasters such as tsunami, earthquakes, and cyclones? It is very discouraging for us overseas to make these donations and the Government of Tonga is not helping out to facilitate their distributions to her people in need. It's really frustrating! Also, we have concerns with the honest distributions of our donations. From past experiences, our donations apparently have not been honestly and fairly distributed for various reasons. We have evidence for these wrongdoings by the people whom we thought we could trust. We would greatly appreciate if our help is used for the purpose to which we donated it, to help the victims. This will encourage more donations in the future and vice versa if the said problems continue to happen.
There is a lot of money in Tonga to exclude the taxes/custom duties on our gifts and to facilitate their distributions to the people in need. All the Government of Tonga has to do is prioritizing and willing to do it. You may not agree with me but this always had been my gut feeling. The Government of Tonga has a lot of money.
Let us show some love to the people of Tonga.
Make a change in their lives.
A change for the better!
And no more Princess Ashika please!
Yours sincerely,
Siosaia Fatani