Gov says shipyard grant will help ASG support fishing and maritime industries

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This past Monday US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $1.5 million grant to the American Samoa Shipyard Service Authority to support the acquisition of equipment, machinery and tools needed to modernize the Shipyard Service Facility located in a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone.

“This is great news for the territory. This grant will greatly improve the Territory’s resilience and put the Shipyard in a position to better support our fishing and maritime industries. The tuna canning and fishing industry is the life-blood of our economy and we want to continue to strengthen the supporting infrastructure whenever we can. In addition, the Shipyard services our local tugboats, which are key to ensuring they meet U.S Coast Guard requirements and that commerce via the Port of Pago Pago can continue uninterrupted. I would like to thank Secretary Ross and the EDA for their continued support of American Samoa,” said Governor Lolo Moliga.

The Shipyard Services Authority initiated its Shipyard Modernization Initiative in 2017. In partnership with the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Shipyard began the process of applying for EDA funding after the territory was struck by Cyclone Gita, which resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

“The process took a while but I am glad our team stuck with it. Thank you to CEO Liu Jack Liu and the Shipyard team, Director Keniseli Lafaele and his team, and Director Leonard Smith of the Seattle EDA Regional Office and his team for all the hard work and great partnership,” said Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele, chairperson of the Shipyard board.

“Tropical Cyclone Gita caused widespread damage to American Samoa in 2018,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This project will help American Samoa become more economically resilient in the event of future natural disasters and the project’s location in an Opportunity Zone will help drive additional private investment to the territory.”

This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018. Gita struck American Samoa in February 2018.

For more information regarding this and other EDA grant awards, contact Territorial Planner Michael McDonald at the Planning Division at DOC - 633-5155.