Tongan government acts funny

With democratic election in November this year the Tongan has acted strangely in the past few months. According to newspaper reports it has suspended the issuing of licenses for opening new retail shops to foreigners The retail industry is thriving and right now dominated by the Asian community, mostly Chinese. They open early and close very late at night. On the other hand the buses which are all owned and operated by Tongans stop by late afternoon. On Saturday nights it is not easy to get a taxi. They too are operated by Tongans. The squash industry, where the growers were Tongans and the exporters also Tongans, is now almost non-existent. Most of the small squash farmers still owe lots of money to the Tonga Development Bank. They blame the exporters. No Asians there unless you count the Japanese market. One hundred meters from the Tongan prime minister's residence is a clinic for sick vehicles that is managed by a "motor mechanic" cum magician. I complained to the Ministry of Commerce after this Tongan thoroughly messed up my van. I am still waiting for them to act. Last week I met someone who is also looking for the same guy and is owed more than $1,000. And I have heard of other horror stories about the same magician but he has fled to Vava'u where apparently he continues to practise his craft. The moral to the story is if you are Tongan and cheat but you stay near the PM's house you will get away with it. Lately the Ministry of Revenue has seized, according to a spokeswoman, DVDs from China because of among other things copyright infringements. That has to be the worst joke of the year.