A US garment manufacturer is one of several potential investments that ASG is hoping to attract as it attempts to fight the decline in American Samoa’s Gross Domestic Product which started in 2016.
Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last week Director of Commerce Keniseli Lafaele, said that the garment manufacturing company is currently operating in Hawaii but wants to set up here due to the lower labor costs compared to Hawaii.
ASG is still hoping to revive the Rainmaker Hotel rehabilitation project as well as the tramway and cable car to Mt Alava.
It’s hoped that Federal funding will help finance some of these projects, which according to Lafaele will help generate economic development.
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Lafaele also reported that Inter island Airways has applied for FAA certification and is hoping to start operations in November.
The airline, owned by the Sene family, received the only grant so far from the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) of $400,000 earlier this year.
As the theme of the monthly Chamber meeting was closer working relations between private sector and government, the DOC Director called on the business community to come up with innovative ideas to help boost economic activities for the territory.
