The U.S. Department of Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Esther Kia’aina has given approval to the Lolo Administration's request to release over $8 million in Capital Improvement Project funds to build a new passenger/cargo ferry which will sail between Tutuila and Manu’a islands.

Kia’aina’s approval letter, dated Nov.19 came just a few days after her week-long visit to American Samoa which included her traveling to Ta’u island in Manu’a on a chartered Polynesian Airlines flight and then via boat between Tau and Ofu.

In her approval letter, Kia’aina acknowledged receipt of a Nov. 13 letter from Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga requesting the release of the approved CIP grant funding of $8.6 million for the Manu’a vessel project.

In his letter, the governor obligated the American Samoa Government to assume any and all additional costs of the project above $8.6 million, Kia’aina wrote and thanked Lolo for this commitment.

“I know how important this project is to you and the people of the Manu’a islands, and after having had the opportunity to visit the islands and witness first hand, I am convinced that the immediate need is to provide reliable and safe transportation,” she said.

“Without this, it will be very difficult to address the social and economic needs of the Manu’a people. As I stated you, equity is vitally important...” she said adding that the OIA has issued the Authorization to proceed for the vessel project.

The Nov. 18 Authorization to Proceed notice from OIA was addressed to Port Administration director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele. The notice states that OIA will contribute a fix amount of $8,649,520 (or $8.6 million)  from fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 2015 in CIP funding towards the the vessel project. 

As for ASG commitment to any amount over the approved CIP funding, the government has included in its seven projects to be funded with bonds, the Manu’a vessel project, which — according to Port Administration’s FY 2014 fourth quarter performance report — has been awarded to Nichols Brothers of Seattle, Washington.

According to the report, ship building duration is 12 to 15 months and the vessel will be 140 feet long and can accommodate 100 passengers, and is air-conditioned on the second floor.

Additionally there will be a large cargo area with a 24-foot ramp at the stern and a smaller ramp at the bow.

During his cabinet meeting last Friday, the governor told directors that Kia’ina received a lot of information on various issues in her first visit to the territory that have been dealt with by the government and the territory as a whole.

He said Kia’aina left “with the commitment to our people that she will try to do everything she can in order to assist our government.” He then revealed that he received official word last Wednesday that the CIP funding has been approved for the vessel project — and that resulted in applause from the directors.

According to the governor, the last thing Kia’aina said to him before she left was that during her visit here she was “surrounded by a very intellectual group of people who are leading our government. And it makes us very happy to know that our government has good people.”

Lolo thanked the directors for their support, saying that they were not doing the hard work for Kia’aina but “we’re doing this for our people. That’s what we try to do every day, what we relay to our people — what we are doing is to serve... our very own people.”

Lolo also thanked the Fono leaders, and the Chief Justice and traditional leaders who attended various events when Kia’aina was in the territory.