Consumer Protection Act passed by Tongan Parliament
- pacificlegalnetwork
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
On 19 September 2025, a new Consumer Protection Act was passed by the Tongan Parliament.
In a much welcomed upgrade to competition and consumer laws and protections in Tonga, the new Act expands on rules around misleading and unfair practices that are in the current legislation, as well as introducing new rules that address emerging issues surrounding commercial activities online. The goal of the new Act is to increase Tongan consumers’ access to accurate information, safe products and fair treatment, and will hopefully also facilitate more fair competition.
The enactment of new law is a key part of the reform led by the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development around consumer protection and competition practices in Tonga. In 2023, the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), a regional partnership between Australia, New Zealand and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), issued a report to the Tongan government which recommended that Tonga adopt a national policy around consumer protection and competition. As a result, in August 2023 the Tongan cabinet endorsed the National Competition Policy and PSDI began to draft what is now the new Consumer Protection Act.
The Act will come into effect after it receives Royal Assent. Once in effect, it will no doubt impact the way businesses operate and interact with their customers in Tonga. Get in touch with us and see how we can support your business through this new change.
At this stage, a copy of the new Act has not yet been made publicly available. Once available, Pacific Legal Network and R&S will provide further insights on the impact of the new legislation.
Sources:
