KII STRIKE KI AI E NGAAHI PASII.......... Friendly Islands bus owners confront government Tuesday, April 15, 2014 - 18:15 Nukualofa, Tonga Empty bus stop in central Nukualofa on the second day of a bus operators strike. 15 April 2014. The central Nukualofa bus stop remained unusually quiet today, on the second day of a strike by Tongatapu bus owners, over a rejection by government of their request for an exemption from Customs Duty and Consumption Tax on fuel and motor parts. The Tongatapu bus service came to a stand-still yesterday, Monday 14 April, at the beginning of a rolling protest by bus owners, said Samipeni Finau the president of the Friendly Islands Bus Association (FIBA). He was convinced that if government gives concession commercial ferries and the domestic airlines, then they should also offer some kind of concessions to the bus transport services who must charge fares set by the government regulators. Samipeni said that since 21 February he had written letters to the Prime Minister, Lord Tuivakano, requesting for bus owners to be exempted from customs duty and the 15% Consumption Tax on diesel fuel, bus parts, bus tyres and any other essentials that they may need in order to provide a quality public service. He said that since February there had been no response until last week, but meanwhile the price of fuel fluctuated, and bus fares had remained set as it was on 1 October 2008. About 60% of the bus operators total business expenditure goes on fuel. Samipeni said he had been in the bus transport service for nine years, and he has ten buses. Bus drivers who dont like juggling with coins are often charging under the amount they are permitted to. The bus fares from Niutoua to Nukualofa are supposed to be $2.90, but because of the hassle around coins, it is only $2. From Nualei to town is supposed to be $1.20, but it is only $1, said Samipeni. He said that on 7 April, with the unanimous approval of the members of FIBA he wrote and informed the Prime Minister that members of FIBA would stop offering transport services on 14 April until they received a satisfactory response from government. Yesterday, 14 April, there was a cruise ship in town, but after the bus owners waiting around to negotiate a rate and to sign a contract with the tour operators they left and there were no bus tours for the tourists. The Friendly Islands Bus Association has 68 members. On 10 April Samipeni received a letter from Aholotu Palu, the Acting Chief Secretary and the Acting Secretary to Cabinet, informing him that the request of bus owners to be exempted from Custom Duties and Consumption Tax had been forwarded to the Ministry of Revenue, and that they were not in favor of the proposition. They also disagree with the request of bus owners to be treated the same as the fisheries and the agriculture sectors for the exemption. Samipeni disagreed with the view of the Ministry of Revenue. The bus stops on the Nukualofa waterfront, which are normally crowded with students and workers were empty. Today was also the beginning of the inter-college sports competition, but Nukualofa remained relatively quiet.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:52:43 +0000
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