The parent company of the territory’s largest private sector employer, StarKist Samoa, says American Samoa’s economy is in a fragile state …it’s becoming progressively more difficult for the territory to compete with other manufacturing locations where labor costs and other expenses are substantially lower.
Andrew Choe, President and CEO of StarKist Company sent Governor Lolo a letter dated January 19 in response to the governor’s request to outline StarKist recommended priorities for the American Samoa Fisheries Task Force.
The priorities he listed are:
1, making American Samoa the preferred port of delivery for all fishing vessels and carries operating in the region and to make the import and export of goods to and from American Samoa more efficient, reliable and less costly.
2, reduce the cost of energy, electricity specifically and improve the reliability of water supply and.
3, support efforts to develop fiscal incentives for the competitiveness of the tuna industry in American Samoa through support of wage credits, tax credits, and fuel offset among others. And come up with creative ways to replace the federal 30 (A) or make it permanent.
The StarKist president has asked that:
- ASG grant a long term lease on the former Casamar net yard facility to Purse Seine Samoa Inc. and also a long term lease on current net yard location at the shipyard yard dock to StarKist Samoa.
- That ASG help improve dock space and the overall condition of the port including the container yard and
- improve the shipyard.
Choe said the shipyard should have the capacity to perform full range of ship repair services to large scale purse seine fleet plus longliners.
Choe thanked the governor for his leadership and support and said Governor Lolo and Congresswoman Amata Radewagen, from a federal perspective, have worked to champion the interests of the American Samoa canneries and fishing vessels within the South Pacific nations that control the fishing resource.
He said the governor’s support for the canneries interest during discussions about the minimum wages as well as support for the extension of the American Samoa Manufacturing Tax Credit known as 30 (A) was valuable in the effort to protect these programs that are essential to leveling the competitive playing field with other nations.
Choe pledged StarKist’s commitment to working with Lolo, ASG, the Fisheries Task Force and people of American Samoa to ensure that a competitive and viable economic environment is established in the territory.
Appearing on the Samoa Sunrise Show earlier this week, Vaamua Henry Sesepasara, the governor’s advisor on fisheries says the canneries never threatened to take action if their requests are not met.
He says the Fisheries Task Force is now collecting data to help with an assessment of the canneries request.
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