Tongan businessman angry with the extension of curfew Featured
14 March, 2018. A Tongan businessman is angry local authorities have extended a curfew around the capital of Nuku'alofa.
Last month Tonga was hit by Cyclone Gita and this week prime minister 'Akilisi Pohiva announced an extension of a related state of emergency until 9 April.
Police are also continuing to enforce a curfew, making sure no one is out after 10pm or before 5am.
But Tausinga Taumoefolau, who owns a cafe and an ice cream parlour in the CBD, said the curfew was hurting business and not helping people recover from the cyclone.
"We are already back into normal, us here in the centre of the city, we are back to normal business but because of them extending the curfew, it doesn't help the recovery of us. It doesn't help me at all and it doesn't help my employees as well because they want to make up their hours as well."
Tausinga Taumoefolau said some of his employees were struggling to make ends meet because of the reduction in hours.
"My employees, they are not happy with cutting their hours. They claim that they cannot feed their families, their children. They can't even buy any material to fix their houses, because we are cutting hours back due to the government."
Tausinga Taumoefolau said there was no trouble in town so the curfew wasn't needed.
He said he was about to open a waterfront restaurant before the storm destroyed the building, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
-RNZI
2 comments
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Pea kapau aa e waive e tax ku tanaki mei he taimi oku fakagatagata ai e houa pisinisi e. Koe taamate tangata mata’aa’aa mo ho’ataa malie ena ku lolotonga hoko hotau fonua.
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I agree and do sympathise with Tausinga. Businesses like his should be assisted in all possible ways to recover lost revenue and help staff earn a few extra dollars for the family. Unfortunately there are a few night clubs and bars in the CBD which are the main targets for this curfew extension. These places attract rough and rowdy people, people with potential to commit crimes and all kinds of people with bad intentions who are security risks and will be difficult to control. There are businesses and offices in the CBD that are still vulnerable to both physical and human elements and therefore still need police protection. So if the curfew is to be lifted any time soon, then I would suggest intensive and vigilant police presence to patrol and protect these businesses and offices. Or maybe move the curfew to 12 midnight when Tausinga's and similar businesses close for the night.