Sunday trading ban will stay says Tonga's PM Featured
The Tongan Prime Minister 'Akilisa Pohiva in Auckland with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key Photo:RNZI
29 July, 2016. The Tongan Prime Minister says complaints about the bans on Sunday trading won't lead to a law change unless there's a groundswell of public opinion.
'Akilisi Pohiva said he agrees the ban, which came in earlier this month, was affecting small business owners but it simply enforces a law that has been breached for 30 years.
The ban restricts Sunday trading to restaurants in hotels and other commercial accommodation establishments.
He said Tonga is a Christian country and there would need to be a strong movement for Parliament to look at repealing the law.
"I understand that it really affects the business community, but unfortunately that's what the law says."
"There has been very strong pressure from the public, so public opinion in Tonga is very very important whether the government likes it or not, but we have to listen, especially to the churches in Tonga, they are very powerful," he said.
'Akilisa Pohiva arrived in New Zealand on Thursday, his first offical visit as Tonga's Prime Minister.
-RNZI
4 comments
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EXCELLENT VIRGINA ROSE...PM goes with whichever direction the wind blows: Blowing in the wind! He has no principles.
1. Actually, Government's job is to provide "opportunities" for people to succeed in whatever life-goals they are pursuing. It also must protect citizens and their properties with Police, military, and the legal system).
2. If Government stands in the way of progress, people will suffer, and cannot pay taxes, that runs government.
3. More prosperous citizens drive a healthy economy, people have enough food to eat, money to educate their children, and contribute to their Church. There has never been a poor country that drives a healthy economy.
4. If Government and Church keep demanding money from people without providing them opportunities to support their aspirations. there will be many more poor people than prosperous folks.
5 Closing the bakeries on Sunday hits the poor people most, because bread is the cheapest food supply there is. A basket of manioke is $10-15 a basket; a loaf of bread is only $1.20, and 3 loaves of bread ($5.00) can feed many more mouths than a basket of manioke. The poor cannot buy their bread if the bakeries are forced to close by Government.
6. Government should not be afraid of "Strong Churches." That was the goal of the "Reformation" 400 yeas ago.
7. A democracy serves the wish of the people who elected politicians to office, who pays their wages. Politicians were not appointed by the Church. -
MAALIE MOONI KOE FOUNGA IA A E PALEMIA OE KAKAI. TAIMI PE KE PROCUREMENT HA RELEASE O HA PAANGA KIHA PROJECT A LAVU PEA FAKATATAFI E LAO IA KI TAFAAKI. TAIMI PE KE TAOFI O HA NGAUE AKI HA LOTO OKU FONU KOVI PEA TOKI FEHALU HAKE E LAO.
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The bible says give us this day our daily bread but Akilisi has decided on our behalf not on the Sunday. You and your ministers can go to New Zealand and eat Kentucky on a Sunday while the poor population back at home who like to eat hot bread in the evenings that cost only $1.20, can now be our sacrifice. Nothing like the self righteous to decide what is good and bad for us. We thought democracy would mean freedom but what it has done has provided more laws and more taxes. This is not the vision you gave us before, it is all a lie!
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Akilisi has claimed on record several times that his way is better than what is stated by the law. He has demanded to put aside the law so he can run things the way he thinks. Furthermore, it should not be "what the people want", it should be "what is best for them".