LCA Tonga.Pdf
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LCA - Tonga Version 1 (June 2012) Logistics Capacity Assessment Tonga Country Name Tonga The Kingdom of Tonga Official Name Tongan: Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga Assessment Assessment Dates: From May 21st, 2012 To June 16th, 2012 Name of Assessor Daniel Adriaens – Bart Deelen Title & Position Logistics Officer Email Contact [email protected] Page 1 of 131 LCA - Tonga Version 1 (June 2012) Table of Contents 1. Country Profile .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2. Introduction & Background ............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.3. Humanitarian Background ............................................................................................................................................ 17 1.4. National Regulatory Departments ................................................................................................................................ 45 1.5. Customs Information ..................................................................................................................................................... 45 2. Logistics Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................................... 54 2.1. Port Assessment ........................................................................................................................................................... 56 2.2. Airport Assessment ....................................................................................................................................................... 76 2.3. Road Assessment ......................................................................................................................................................... 96 2.4. Railway Assessment ...................................................................................................................................................101 2.5. Waterways Assessment .............................................................................................................................................102 2.6. Storage Assessment ..................................................................................................................................................103 2.7. Milling Assessment .....................................................................................................................................................105 3. Logistics Services .................................................................................................................................................................108 3.1. Fuel ..............................................................................................................................................................................108 3.2. Transporters ................................................................................................................................................................114 3.3. Vehicle Rental .............................................................................................................................................................115 3.4. Taxi Companies ..........................................................................................................................................................116 3.5. Freight Forwarding Agents .........................................................................................................................................116 3.6. Handling Equipment ....................................................................................................................................................117 3.7. Electricity & Power ......................................................................................................................................................118 3.8. Manual Labour Costs ..................................................................................................................................................122 3.9. Telecommunications ...................................................................................................................................................122 3.10. Local Supplies Market.................................................................................................................................................127 3.11. Accommodation...........................................................................................................................................................128 4. Scenarios & Contingencies ..................................................................................................................................................129 4.1. Refugees and IDPs .....................................................................................................................................................129 4.2. Food Security ..............................................................................................................................................................129 4.3. Natural Disaster...........................................................................................................................................................129 5. Annexes ................................................................................................................................................................................131 5.1. Annex 1: List of Contacts ............................................................................................................................................131 5.2. Annex 2: Relevant Websites applicable to this LCA .................................................................................................131 5.3. Annex 3: Maps ............................................................................................................................................................131 5.4. Annex 4: Miscellaneous ..............................................................................................................................................131 Page 2 of 131 LCA - Tonga Version 1 (June 2012) Page 3 of 131 LCA - Tonga Version 1 (June 2012) 1. Country Profile The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific with approximately 718 sq km of land area scattered over 170 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, in an EEZ of about 700,000 sq km. The country consists of 4 main island groups including Tongatapu, seat of the capital city Nuku’alofa, and including, Vava’u, Hapa’ai, and the more remote islands in the Niuas. The climate is tropical, with a warm season from December to May and a cooler season from June to November. Natural hazards include cyclones (November to April), earthquakes and occasional offshore volcanic activity. Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only constitutional monarchy in the Pacific. The King retains considerable power and has been closely involved in recent modest political reforms. The unicameral Legislative Assembly, or parliament, has 18 elected members – nine nobles' representatives and nine people's representatives. Elections are held triennially, the most recent General Election was held on 24 April 2008. King George Tupou V acceded to the throne on 11 September 2006 and died in Hong Kong on 18 March 2012. Heir to the throne is Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka. Over the years, Tonga has undergone social, cultural, economic, political and demographic changes. As with many other Pacific islands, Tonga’s small size and isolation present challenges for development. Over recent years, Tonga’s population has remained at around 100,000 people, with a high rate of out-migration helping stabilize demographic trends. In the 1996-2006 inter-censal periods, the population growth rate was 0.4% per annum. The country is predominantly rural; with about 25% of the population living in urban areas. Tonga has a young population with a median age of 21 years. More than one-third (38%) of the population is under 15 years of age, with 8% 60 years and older. Life expectancy is considered high at 70.2 overall (67.3 for males and 73.0 for females). The World Bank classifies Tonga as a lower middle income country. In 2009, the Gross National Income per capita stood at US$2,561. In 2009, Tonga’s economy contracted by 0.4%, a result mainly due to falling remittances of expatriate Tongan, as a result of the global economic crisis. Thus Government revenues have fallen, and the economic downturn is expected to continue at least through 2011. Tonga’s economy is still agricultural-based, with a narrow export base. The economy is traditionally redistributive in Tonga, and is based on three core values: ‘ofa (love), faka’apa’apa (respect) and fuakavenga (responsibility). Family groups rely on traditional economic cooperation to raise money for important occasions such as weddings, funerals, and so forth.