The only time you ever hear of Tonga is on the off chance the Springboks face them in a rugby match or when the pristine scenery of this Pacific archipelago consisting of 169 islands, much of it sadly threatened by rising seas, is written about in travel journals.
But the Tongan nation’s customs apparatus received the highest nod of approval from the World Customs Organisation (WCO) during a recent visit by WCO secretary general Kunio Mukuriya to the island nation’s capital of Nuku’alofa.
With 36 of its islands inhabited and with a growing agri- and aquacultural sector exporting goods like cassava and beans to countries like New Zealand and Australia, and with a determined “Look East” exporting strategy focusing on Asia, Tonga has literally had to ensure that customs and connectivity work like a charm across its severely broken up landmass.
In a statement released by the WCO following Mukuriya’s visit, Tonga was praised for the progress it has made to address cross-border and illicit trade, all in keeping with stipulations laid down by the World Trade Organisation and its Trade Facilitation Agreement.
More importantly, considering its remote position on the globe, Tonga was praised for the manner in which it was able to modernise customs standards in line with 1st world best practice operations.
