Governor Lolo Moliga wants to keep the ownership of BlueSky Communications in American Samoa. He says the investment of local business people and residents should be protected and so too local jobs .
He also wants to get a definitive answer from Amper SA, BlueSky’s parent company as to what will become of ASG’s shares in the company managing the undersea fiber optic cable connecting American Samoa, Samoa and Hawaii, the American Samoa Hawaii Cable.
Governor Lolo tells KHJ News in a phone interview that he asked BlueSky officials for a report on the pending sale by Amper, of the BlueSky Pacific group to Fijian company Amalgamated Telecom Holdings inc. He learned from a meeting with investors and management that there was a lot at stake . he was informed that a group of investors plus management employees of BlueSky had made a buyout offer to Amper.
Governor Lolo said he told the Blue Sky officials, whatever relationship existed before between the administration and BueSky, that should be left aside.
He stressed that the phone company should be up front with all pertinent information so that the government fully understands the transaction and take appropriate action.
The governor has been trying without success to get the undersea fiber optic cable company, which BlueSky CEO Aoee Adolfo Montenegro manages to payback $9 million that was invested in the cable.
He’s said that it doesn’t make sense that government money is invested in a cable which a private company operates and uses in competition with a government entity, the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority.
In fact ASTCA leases bandwidth from ASHC.
Governor Lolo says he gave his support to the local management buy out group because he said they are local business people and management employees who’ve invested a lot of money and expertise in building the phone company.
He said the government has a responsibility to protect the investment of local residents and ensure that locals keep their jobs.
BlueSky’s parent company, Amper, has rejected the management buyout offer and is sticking with the more than $79 million binding offer by ATH.
The governor didn’t meet with officials of Amper, ATH and the Fiji National Provident Fund who traveled here last week but appointed a group led by Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale to meet with them.
Others were Iulogologo Joseph Pereira and Steve Watson from the Governor’s Office and Director of Commerce Keniseli Lafaele.
Lolo says there’s alot to learn about the pending buyout and the Amper and ATH officials were asked to provide in writing information that ASG is seeking.
The governor said he received an email correspondence from the group yesterday but when KHJ News spoke with him he had not read it.
Lolo said, “We will not rush into making a decision on the sale. We want to continue discussions and learn as much as possible from all the parties before we make a decision.”
Lolo sensed that the group which was here last week was hoping to leave with an endorsement from the government but he indicated there’s a lot of stake and there’s a lot to learn and understand before reaching a conclusion.
The governor has reservations about the buyers, especially the involvement of a shareholder like the Fiji Government.
He’s of the opinion that the pending acquisition of the BlueSky Pacific group by ATH is an effort to control telecommunications in the whole Pacific, Australia and New Zealand included.
