Fiji national Michael Cokanasiga has been appointed as the new chief executive Officer for Ministry of Revenue and Customs in Tonga.
The Tongan Public Service Commission says the appointment is effective from 9 January 2023 and Cokanasiga has been offered a 4-year term.
He holds a Bachelor of Law (2007), a Professional Diploma in Legal Practice (2008) and a Professional Diploma in Legislative Drafting from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.
Cokanasiga, who now resides in Tu’atakilangi was first employed by the Transparency International and the Colonial Fiji Group of Companies in Fiji as a Legal Officer prior employed by BSP/Colonial Fiji Group of Companies as the Solicitor in September 2009 to December 2010.
He moved to Tonga in 2011 and joined the public service as a senior revenue officer before taking over other senior positions within the ministry.
Cokanasiga took up a new role at the National Reserve Bank in May this year.
He led Tonga’s Customs legislative reform team, the development of the Authorized Economic Operator policy for Tonga Customs, and legislative reform and the development of guidelines for the Ministry’s Electronic Sales Register System project, among others.
He was also the country’s representative to the Legal Verification Working Group of the PACER Plus text and its related arrangements and most recently, worked with the Oceania Customs Organisation on the development of Customs legislation of four of its member countries.
