The Tongan government has reintroduced the Sunday trading ban to stop bakers trading on the Sabbath, but some bakers have admitted that church goers are among their regular customers.
Police Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa said that even though some bakers agreed with the Sunday trading ban, they had had to meet the needs of church customers.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said some church ministers bought bread and cakes on Sunday because they had a lukuluku (collection of food or refreshments) for ceremonial receptions at their churches.
Tonga has reinstated its Sunday Trading Ban and announced this week it would ban bakeries from selling bread to the public on the Sabbath, beginning on July 3.
The owner of Tonga’s largest bakery, Alfred Cowley, told Kaniva News this evening the ban would affect about 80 percent of the people of the main island, Tongatapu.
He said every fortnight his bakeries had to serve a large number of customers who were churchgoers who wanted to buy bread for church receptions.
He said the way the government came up with the decision to ban the sale of bread on Sunday was unfair and disregarded the proposal to allow bakeries to open for a limited time on Sundays.
Cowley said that in their meeting with the government, the island’s bakers agreed with the government to sell bread within a fixed time frame on Sundays.
He said the government said it would come back to them with suitable times.
He said most people who took part in the discussions did not support the ban.
Cowley said he was surprised when he heard the Minister of Police announce the ban on the radio without contacting the bakers.
“I am concerned that the ban is not fair,” Cowley said.
“Why do they allow the restaurants to open on Sunday and not bakeries?”
The law of the nation should be equal to everyone no matter what, he said.
Alcohol was sold on Sunday in some of the restaurants which did not provide accommodation to tourists.
Cowley denied claims by the church leaders that only five percent of Tongans would be affected if the sale of bread on Sunday was banned.
“The church minister who said that should look at the Bible to make sure what he said is truthful,” Cowley said.
He said his company had three main bakeries in Tongatapu, in the capital Nuku’alofa, in Nukunuku in the western side and in Mu’a at the eastern side.
He said his bakeries produced the most bread during the week for people to buy on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
“It is obvious 80 to 85 percent of Tongatapu people prepare their traditional food to eat after church on Sunday afternoon and in the evening they look forward to buying bread for their dinner,” Cowley said in Tongan.
Cowley said the government should go with the times in its decision on the trading ban.
Other bakeries including the Ha’amoko Bakery, the Rainbow Bakery and others in Fanga and Veitongo. These bakeries open on Sundays and sell bread on Sunday evenings.
Cowley said he received complaints from a number of concerned bread buyers on Sunday who suggested he should stage a march and present a petition to the king over the ban.
However, he said he did not want to get involved in such move. He hoped the government would return to the negotiation table for further discussion before the ban comes to effect.
The trading ban
Baker Alfred Cowley told Kaniva News the government should go with the times in its decision on the trading ban.
The clear implication of that statement is that times have changed and many Tongans no longer regard buying bread on Sundays as a sin.
What do you think?
Should the trading ban be imposed on bakeries?
Is there anything wrong with buying bread on Sunday?
The main points
- The Tongan government has reintroduced the Sunday trading ban to stop bakers trading on the Sabbath, but some bakers have admitted that church goers are among their regular customers.
- Police Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa said that even though some bakers agreed with the Sunday trading ban, they had had to meet the needs of church customers.
- He said some church ministers bought bread and cakes on Sunday because they had a collection of food for ceremonial receptions at their churches.
- The owner of Tonga’s largest bakery, Alfred Cowley, told Kaniva News this evening the ban would affect about 80 percent of the people of the main island, Tongatapu.
Government has no record of decision being made to allow bakeries to operate on Sunday
