A shipyard in American Samoa has won the contract for maintenance of a government vessel, after challenging a decision to send the work overseas.
The MYD shipyard at Satala will now carrying out the work on the government vessel, the MV Sili, worth more than half a million US dollars.
Two other companies, one from Honolulu and another from Fiji, sought the work and the Department of Port Administration chose to drydock the vessel at a Honolulu shipyard.
However MYD petitioned the High Court for an injunction to require the government to put the job out for tender.
The MYD President Bob Weihe says the decision has not only saved jobs but will create new vacancies at the local shipyard.
"In these times of economic turmoil and uncertainty, I think everyone has realised that it's very, very important that we keep the jobs, the money, right here on the island so we have our own economic stimulis while we are waiting for something else to come down the pipeline. With this work and some of the other things we have in the pipeline, I'm looking at augmenting the staff by about fifteen per cent by the 1st of August."
MYD President Bob Weihe.
