ASG has added to its marine fleet a vessel and barge owned by Papalii Laulii Alofa of Paramount Builders.
This was revealed by Governor Lolo Moliga at a cabinet meeting yesterday at Pago Pago International Airport where Director of Port Administration Taimalelagi Dr Claire Poumele, Deputy Director Christopher King and engineer Natalia Palamo gave a presentation on major port and airport projects here and in Manu’a that have been completed, in progress or in the pipeline.
Speaking in Samoan, the governor told the cabinet, “we have brought in to the government the boat MV Pago Pago and the barge that was brought by our company. It can take three times the load of the Manu’atele. This will be another asset of our government.”
The governor instructed the Port Director to assign the MV Segaula to the Marine Patrol Unit until DPS gets its new boa.
Lolo told the Commissioner of Public Safety that by April it should get a new boat by which time the Seagula will be returned to Port Administration.
He said Port Administration will provide the crew For Segaula while DPS fuels up the boat.
Questions sent to the Governor’s Executive Assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira about the price that ASG paid for the MV Pago Pago and barge have not been answered.
A senior ASG official told KHJ News however the price was $1.2 million.
The MV Pago Pago arrived from Honolulu in April and at the time the owner of Paramount, Papalii, declined to disclose how much he bought the vessel and barge for.
The vessel used to be a naval torpedo retriever.
One of our questions to the governor’s executive assistant, Iulogologo, is why ASG purchased from Papali’i instead of buying directly from the seller.
