A businessman who imported a shipment of watermelons from Tonga last week can’t understand why the Department of Agriculture refused to inspect and release his watermelons at a location other than where he is licensed to do business.
Businessman Isaeli Saluni said his container of watermelons arrived last week.
He didn’t have enough space on his business premises in Aua to hook up the container to be refrigerated to keep the watermelons cool,.
He asked a friend, Mr. Sione Kava, to refrigerate the container at his residence in Malaeimi.
Kava was willing to help and paid the American Samoa Power Authority for a three phase hook up for the container in Malaeimi.
But when the Department of Agriculture got into the picture, the importer was told that DOA cannot inspect the watermelons at Malaemi, only at Aua which is the location of the importer’s business location as stated on his business license.
Friday afternoon, Mr Saluni and Mr. Kava were feverishly trying to get approval for the containers to be hooked up for refrigeration other wise the watermelons would start spoiling.
Mr. Saluni said it was very disappointing after much effort to get the container into American Samoa to only be told we were unable to keep the container at Sione Kava’s place because the business license address was at a different location.
When reached this afternoon, Acting Director of Agriculture, Tapaau Dr. Dan Aga said the reason why Agriculture’s Quarantine did not agree to inspect the container of watermelons at Malaeimi is because that is not the place of business for the importer.
He said the law authorizes a business owner to do business only at the location where they are permitted.
And in this case, the Malaeimi location where the importer had hooked up his shipment of watermelons for refrigeration was not the place where his business was licensed to operate from.
The importer expressed disappointment that the watermelons could not be refrigerated and said his produce have deteriorated.
He said as a businessman he feels Agriculture should be more accommodating especially when the government is trying to promote business development.
The businessman said he is not giving up.
He will try again for March with a smaller volume of agricultural produce but wants clarity on the concept that whatever your business location is on your license, that is the only place you can run your business from.
He said “it is a very archaic concept.”
