Thursday, 20
th June 2013
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From left to right: Steven ‘Esau, Finance Manager Tonga Power Ltd, John van Brink, CEO Tonga Power Ltd, Carl Sanft, Chairman Tonga Power Board of Directors, Hon. Fe’aomoeata Vakata, Minister for Public Enterprises, Siaosi Sovaleni, CEO Ministry of Public Enterprises.
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The Chairman of the Tonga Power Board of Directors Mr Carl Sanft presented Tonga Power’s final dividend payment for the 2011-2012 financial year to the Minister for Public Enterprises, Hon. Fe’aomoeata Vakata.
The Honourable Minister praised the company’s hard work. He said, “Tonga Power Limited is one of the best performing business organisations in the Ministry of Public Enterprises”.
He said, “When the price of electricity increased in April and May this year, the Government subsidised the first 100 units used each month by the power consumers and this was deducted from Tonga Power’s dividend”.
John van Brink, Tonga Power Limited CEO explained that the cheque presentation yesterday was Tonga Power’s remaining dividend of $524, 000 from a total of $860,000 to the Government. In one year, Tonga Power paid around $1.3 million pa’anga in tax and dividend.
Carl Sanft, chairman of the Tonga Power Limited Board of Directors said, “We are working together with the Minister of Public Enterprises and his CEO, Mr Siaosi Sovaleni to push for the implementation of six energy projects that we have developed and that once implemented they will help lower the cost for electricity in Tonga”.
We have submitted project proposals to the Tonga Energy Road Map-Implementation Unit for 6 projects since February this year and it is estimated at around 5-6 million pa’anga. If the Government approve these projects the electricity price will decrease by 20 seniti per kWh, he said.
The support from Government and TERM will help push the projects forward to decrease the price of electricity as it is the life blood of the economy.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Jane Guttenbeil
Marketing and Communication Advisor
Tonga Power Limited
Email: jguttenbeil@tongapower.to
Phone: (+676) 21400
Website: www.tongapower.to