A Unique

Tonga

Pacific

Partnership

rom pastry cooks to palace staff, Boral Gas Pacific’s (BGP) Tongan terminals service all facets of life

in the historic island kingdom.

Domestic cooking makes up the ma jority of BGP’s Tongan market, although commercial cooking is a fast-developing area of business. BGP provides most of Tonga’s hotels with LPG for use in kitch ens.

Through its distributor Homegas, BGP Tonga supplies gas to the Royal Palace.

BGP has had an operation in Tonga since 1973, after negotiating a joint ven ture with local government. In 1986 the 120-tonne terminal, located in Tonga’s

capital Nukualofa, became a subsidiary of BGP’s Fiji operation. Recently, a new terminal began operations 200 kms north of the capital at Vava'u.

The partnership is unique among Boral’s Pacific operations, as BGP owns the terminals and the gas, but distribution is provided by Homegas, a company owned and run by local government.

According to Fiji Manager Harvie Probert, who has responsibility for the Tongan operations, this system has been running successfully for both parties.

“We recently began operating our second terminal in Vava'u. We are looking forward to expanding the Tongan enterprise,” Mr Probert said.

The Tongan office Manager coordi nates the LPG operation at both terminals, and liaises with both Homegas and the Fiji office.

Mr Probert says future plans for Tonga include gradual development along the lines of the Fiji model.