Families in Ti’avea are concerned the government will demand their money back for land they bought for an airport, which has been abandoned.
Samoa Observer reports one of the affected residents, Folasia Tavale Tusitala, said he gave up at least 4 acres of his family land for the construction of the airport.
He said his biggest worry is the current Government asking families in Ti’avea, who were paid for their land, to return the funds in exchange for the return of their land.
The $17 million tālā project was abandoned by the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi government in August 2021 with no plans to revive it again.
However, the Samoa Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer, Silimana’i Ueta Solomona, told the newspaper last Friday that the proposed airport project site land is Government-owned and there are no plans for it to be returned to the former owners.
“The Government will still own those lands because it has already been bought and by the end of this fiscal year, the Ministry of Finance should finish paying off the remaining money,” Silimana’i said.
He said the airport is still at the stage it was back then with no improvements, and he understands that the Government currently has no plans to continue the construction of the airport.
A visit to the site on Friday by the newspaper saw the proposed construction site being overtaken by bushland amid no signs of construction work.
Photo:2020 Photo of Ti’avea land for airport
