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Pago Pago – American Samoa
The management of StarKist Samoa Fish Company is now awaiting a response from the Pago Pago, Samoa Catholic Church, on their request to build houses for workers brought from foreign countries on the church’s land currently leased by StarKist in Atu’u.
The land is located on the other side of the road from the Samoa Tuna Cannery, which was once the old Malisi Boys’ School.
In an interview with one of the senior leaders of the fish company, Mr. Tufuga Faafo’i Palepua, he announced that he is in negotiations with the Samoan Catholic Church, Pago Pago, based on their request, which was sent to them at the beginning of the year. This year, they have high expectations that the Church will give a positive answer to the situation.
Tufuga said StarKist management had decided after consultations on the land for employee housing that it would not try to lease land from the government but instead try to lease the company’s land at the church in Atuwu.
Tufuga said they considered the land in Atuu because it is close to the company where the employees work, transportation will be more convenient, and it can save the company expenses such as paying for bus fares or cars for employees to travel.
The issue was first raised by the Samoan government at the 2022 Samoa General Assembly, where it was stated that company personnel working there come from Samoa and other Pacific Islands, working part-time in New Zealand and Australia.
This is one of the specific areas in the contracts of New Zealand and Australian companies so that their employees can live together in a way that resembles the communities that the employees are familiar with.
Samoa therefore believes that American Samoa companies that import workers from Samoa should do the same.
StarKist is the largest company in the region and is the economic backbone of the area.
And only Samoa brings in American Samoan workers, with StarKist monitoring customs clearance or processing travel documents for its workers.
Tufuga said the Catholic Church would accept their request and work was expected to begin before the end of this year.
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