Further to our press releases announced in November and December 2020 and our Excluded Moneylender Directive notice issued on 27th November 2020, please note that EVERY person, business, group, committee, employer who conduct any kind of lending activities should contact the Reserve Bank by the due date stated above. Exemption from the Moneylenders Act can only be granted by Reserve Bank where applicable.
Any person or business identified to be conducting moneylending business who have yet to contact the Reserve Bank to obtain a valid license after the 29th January 2021 commits an offence and may be taken to court and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both as per section 3(2) of the Moneylenders Act 2018. Please also note that pursuant to section 20 of the Act, all moneylending contracts entered into by a person or business without a valid license by the end of January 2021 will be deemed unenforceable.
Laiseni ‘o e Kautaha Nō atu ‘a e Pa’anga ‘i Tonga
Kātaki ‘o fakatokanga’i ange ‘oku ‘oatu ‘e he Pangikē Pule Fakafonua ‘o Tonga΄ ‘a e fakamanatu faka’osi ko eni´ ki he tokotaha pe kautaha kotoa pē ‘oku nau fakahoko ‘a e pisinisi ‘o e nō atu ‘o e pa’anga΄, ke mou fetu’utaki mai ki he Pangikē Pule′ he vave taha΄. ‘E lava ai ke mou ma’u atu e fakaikiiki ki he founga ‘a hono ma’u atu ha laiseni pea ke lesisita ‘a ho’o mou ngaahi kautaha nō′ ‘o ‘ikai toe tōmui ange ‘i he ‘aho Falaite 29 ‘o Sanuali 2021.
Fakatatau ki he fanongonongo kuo ‘osi fakahoko atu ‘i Nōvema mo Tīsema 2020 pea mo e Tohi Tu’utu’uni ne tuku atu ‘i he ‘aho 27 ‘o Nōvema 2020 mei΄ he Pangikē Pule΄, kātaki fakatokanga’i ange ‘oku ‘oatu heni ki he tokotaha, kautaha, pisinisi, ngaahi kulupu, ngāue’anga kotoa pē ‘oku nau tuku atu ha nō ‘i ha fa’ahinga founga pē, ke mou fetu’utaki mai ki he Pangikē Pule΄ ‘o ‘ikai toe tōmui ange he ‘aho kuo fakahā atu ‘i ‘olunga΄. Ko e Pangikē Pule΄ pē ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e mafai ke ne faka’atā ha taha pe kautaha mei΄ he malumalu ‘o e Lao ki he ngaahi Kautaha Nō Atu ‘o e Pa’anga΄.
Ka ‘i ai ha taha pe kautaha ‘e ma’u ‘oku΄ ne kei fakahoko ‘a e pisinisi nō atu ‘o e pa’anga΄ ‘i Tonga΄ ni ‘i he hili ‘a e ‘aho 29 ‘o Sanuali 2021, ka ‘oku te’eki ai ke fetu’utaki mai ki he Pangikē Pule´ ke ma’u atu ha’ane laiseni Kautaha Nō Atu ‘o e Pa’anga΄, ‘oku΄ ne fakahoko ‘e ia ‘a e hia pea ‘e malava ai ke faka’ilo ‘o ala mo’ua ‘i ha’ane halaia ki ha mo’ua pa’anga ‘o ‘ikai laka hake ‘i he $10,000 pē ki he ngāue popula ki ha vaha’a taimi ‘oku ‘ikai lahi hake ‘i he ta’u ‘e tolu pe fakatou’osi ‘o fakatatau ki he Kupu 3(2) ‘o e Lao Ki he ngaahi Kautaha Nō Atu ‘o e Pa’anga΄. Kātaki ‘o toe fakatokanga’i ange, ‘e fakata’e’aonga’i ‘a e aleapau nō pa’anga kotoa pē ’e fakahoko ‘e ha taha pe kautaha ‘oku te’eki ke fetu’utaki mai ki he Pangikē Pule΄ ke laiseni kimu’a he faka’osinga ‘o Sanuali 2021.
