Tonga government denies sale of orbital slots

Transcript

The Tongan government says claims by the Public Service Association that the Cabinet has approved the outright sale of two of Tonga's orbital slots are false.

The government says ait has made a new arrangement that will net the country millions.

Indira Moala reports:

Tonga's PSA has called for the deal to be scrapped. It also wants a constitution review to stop the sale of national assets without approval from Parliament. The PSA's secretary general Mele 'Amanaki says the orbital slots are national assets.

MELE 'AMANAKI: The orbital slot is a government property. This sale would be a sale to another government to own the rights and not Tonga. Our concern is, this is a property of the country and it should have followed due process. It should have been, after the approval of Cabinet, it should have been submitted to Parliament for consideration. This is the country's property, it's like our land. This is our space.

Keith Moala, a former satellite systems engineer says the orbital slots should not be considered part of the country's assets.

KEITH MOALA: No one country owns a orbital slot. We can't own it. It is there for the international use, it is there for the human race. When we say buying or selling of orbital slots, I don't think that is the right word to use here. Of course we are giving away our rights for the slot for only a limited time. No one can own orbital slots indefinitely. But you can only own it for the duration of the time that you applied for it and maintain it. I think that's what people should understand, it is only the sale of our rights to use up to that limited time that we applied for. And it is not a national asset, it is an international asset for everybody to use.

The International Telecommunications Union or ITU is the organisation who assigns orbital slots to governments or other bodies. Its spokesperson also says orbital slots can not be bought, sold or owned by any country indefinitely. Yvon Henri, in a statement, says orbital slots can only be assigned to registered members of the ITU who apply for them.

(From Yvon Henri's statement) The ITU's Constitution does not prevent the transferring of satellite networks between registered members. But there must be strong reasons otherwise the transfer could be construed as trafficking in the international Orbit. The transfer is a complex and sensitive subject and may involve simple changes in ownership of a satellite. In some cases, it may also imply various types of commercial arrangements. Orbital slots are assigned to members for a limited number of years and members can re-apply to renew their licenses after that time.

Tonga's Minister of Justice Clive Edwards says both Ms 'Amanaki and opposition MP 'Akilisi Pohiva continue to raise the issue that orbital slots are the property of Tonga, a statement he says is incorrect. In a statement Mr Edwards says the last agreement made by the government in 2009  confirmed an agreement between Tongasat and foreign satellite company APT to use the two slots for a limited period. The new agreement means Tongasat will now hand over its interests in the slot back to the Government.

[From Clive Edwards statement]: The government was not receiving any revenue from the orbital slots under the old agreement with Tongasat. But now the the government will be given two transponders with a revenue of 450,000 US dollars a year and another payment of 2.6 million. If the transponders are leased out, and APT has been commissioned to do this, the annual revenue will be $1.2 million US dollars a year for the next twenty-five years.

Mr Edwards says the new agreement will ensure millions of dollars worth of revenue remains in the country. He says Ms 'Amanaki is making false allegations against the Government without understanding the agreement that has been made.