Results for Business

Although Tonga’s inflation rate dropped last year to 5.3% it remains the highest inflation rate of the 14 Pacific Islands members of the Asian Development Bank. By Pesi Fonua.

A three days workshop on the World Trade Organization Notification Requirements began in Nuku’alofa on 15 April, with the aim of assisting Tongan officials to understand necessary notification processes. “I think Tonga should be able to fulfil its obligation, and we hope that after this workshop, Tonga clears the backlog that it has got,” said Dr Edwini Kessie, a WTO official.

The New Zealand owned Scenic Hotel in Tonga pulled down its sign this morning in an unannounced and unexplained shock closure of its Fua'amotu hotel.

Consumers will pay more for petrol, kerosene, and diesel with new prices approved by the Tonga Competent Authority, starting today, 18 March.

Petrol, kerosene and diesel prices have increased starting today, 18 February, after consumers enjoyed lower prices over the last month. Wholesale petrol, kerosene and diesel prices went up by 6.37 seniti/litre, 2.41 seniti/litre and 4.38 seniti/litre respectively.

Tonga’s aim to reach 50% of renewable energy by 2020 is on track said Tonga Power Ltd CEO, Seti Chen. “The goal of renewable energy is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel (diesel),” he told Matangi Tonga, while they have seen growth in demand for power increasing more than they thought it would. He said one of the biggest misconceptions is people thinking their electricity bills will be reduced by 50% once the project is completed. “It’s not 50% off the tariff that will be reduced, it’s actually 50% off the diesel that we are displacing,” said Seti. By Eleanor Gee

Tonga’s broken international submarine fibre optic cable should be fixed by midday tomorrow, if all goes to plan, according to the operations team on board the cable repair ship ‘Reliance’. The cable blackout is entering Day 13 on Saturday February 2.

A second fault on the international submarine cable, which connects Tonga through the Southern Cross Cable Network to Fiji, was located further out to sea from the first fault, early this morning, 30 January.

A submarine internet cable maintenance ship Reliance arrived in Nuku’alofa, this evening, and berthed at the Queen Sālote Wharf, after sailing to Tonga from Samoa over the weekend.