Results for Shoreline Power Ltd.

By chance I see it reported in the media this week that Tonga Power will spend 16 million dollars replacing rotten and leaning power poles in a network upgrading programme commencing from the "city". From where I sit, we will have spent these millions only to find that we will remain vulnerable to falling branches as well as hurricane borne damage and still wedded to non-renewable imported and expensive diesel, the price of which is expected to return to stratospheric levels once the world takes the crunch out of credit. In short, not a great deal better. -Sefita Hao'uli

Do you know how much the Government sold the old TEPB for? I am only curious because if Shoreline was floated on the Stock Exchange, we would end up with thousands of shareholders, not two, unless of course a deal was struck between the two shareholders and the Government. - Senolita Swan

Why need the $2 million from government when its directors are receiving hefty salaries. I trust that the money they need is to pay for fuel and not foot the salary of its directors. That would be the biggest crime against Tongan taxpayers. A writer to the editor in response to my last letter wrote that we elect representatives to speak on our behalf. - Freddy Kavaha‘apai

Thank you Mr Holiday for selling Shoreline, you are doing a very good job. Perhaps the King and his business partner should hire you to be their PR man. I am beginning to warm to the idea that the company is a good investment. -Senolita Swan

nitially the selling of the ideas of privatizing power generation and power distribution were acceptable and that was from a view that the government must streamline its functions and put more focus on ...“Quality Assurance...”. The Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources is having the mandate to develop appropriate policies frameworks and legislative in-place for managing power electricity and renewable energy.

I am not sure who is still missing the point here. Freddy Kavaha'apai is trying to excuse us the innocent commoners from the problem that has been created by the Tonga Government vs Shoreline dealings. I'd love to think that we commoners, should not be burdened with bailing out Shoreline from its financial mud hole, but we must not forget these facts. - Sione L. Kava

Apart from trying to implement political reform, we have a power crisis. I beg to ask whether the rioting and looting aggravated the power crisis or is it just another ''worn out'' problem that decided to resurf its head. If the answer to the former is yes then we ought to set a precedent which will suppress such, permanently. If the latter seems to be the problem than those who were involved should gathered and coerced to find a solution to it. - Freddy Kavaha‘apai

The day after the burning of Nuku'alofa reflects the country before the riot, with the problems magnified. Tongans living in Tonga and abroad were shocked by the ruin and squalor Nuku'alofa had been reduced to by the riot. There is plenty of blame to go around. Unfortunately the unprecedented pressure catalyzing political change and the pertinacity of government undoubtedly ignited the riot. -Mele Payne Lynch

Matangi published the story on Jan 31, "BP Oil refused critical fuel supply to Shoreline" quoting David Dunkley from Shoreline stating that, "immediately following the riots, BP Oil declined to deliver any further fuel supplies..." Our Minister of Transport, Paul Karalus, is already on record stating that the Government agreed to pay $2million to BP Oil after the riots so that BP would resume fuel delivery to Shoreline to restore power generation. -Sima