29 May 2010

Troubled American Samoa company visits Samoa to look at shipyard operation

11:25 am on 29 May 2010

Officials from a troubled American Samoa company, MYD Samoa, which currently operates the government owned shipyard at Satala, have been in Samoa this week to lookover the country's slipway at Aleipata.

The company was invited by the Samoa Ports Authority which is looking for an operator for the shipyard.

MYD Samoa, which has just filed for bankruptcy protection, is set to lose its contract at the American Samoa shipyard, with the Government resuming control of the facility from June the 12th.

MYD Samoa official Ben Solaita said the new slipway doesn't need much to become a viable shipyard.

"There was only a couple things it lacked was the machinery department. But that could be fixed pretty easily. But everything else seemed like it was in place. What they were actually looking at was if we could possibly take interest in running the shipyard which wouldn't be a pretty bad situation there. The shipyard is ready to go and with just a little bit more help there, I mean, it could be a viable shipyard."