27 Dec 2014

American Samoa food manufacturing plant considered

10:45 am on 27 December 2014

American Samoa's Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga is still reviewing the proposal by a company from the Philippines to set up a food manufacturing plant in the territory.

AVM Bernardo Engineering plans to invest 106 million US dollars to set up a multi-line food processing plant in Pago Pago with a promise of 700 local jobs.

The owner of AVM Bernado Engineering, Anthony Bernardo, will make another trip to the territory next month.

The governor's Executive Assistant Iulogologo Jospeh Pereira says Mr Bernardo's trip is to finalize issues which the government delegation raised in discussions held in the Philippines.

He says Mr Bernardo's trip next month will determine, depending on settlement of the outstanding issues, a groundbreaking date for the proposed plant.

Governor Lolo Moliga had said two weeks ago that he was still reviewing the proposal from AVM and he was awaiting a report from the government delegation that visited the Philippines before making a final decision.

The members of the group that traveled to Manila have said that they were very impressed with the company's operations.