Japan lines up US$4.6 million ferry for Samoa

Written by Charlina Tone
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
*Maintenance work inside Lady Samoa II* A new inter-island ferry is in the pipeline for Samoa on the busy domestic route between Upolu and Savaii . Japan is once again helping out by gifting the boat to be added to the current fleet of the Samoa Shipping Corporation. An adviser for Japans International Cooperation Agency, JICA, Mr. Takayuki Tomihara, expects the new boat to be in Samoa by 2010. “If the procedure is progressed on schedule the new ferry might arrive in Samoa by 2010,” says Mr. Tomihara. The new ferry will be used alongside the Lady Samoa II fo the domestic run between Upolu and Savaii. According to Senior Officer of Samoa Shipping Cooperation Vaoga Manuao, there has been a need for a new ferry for a long time now. “The condition of the ferries used at the moment including this one (Lady Samoa II) is not safe,” says Manuao on board the Lady Samoa II during a briefing for JICAs Media Tour. “There are a lot of changes that need to be made on Lady Samoa II as it does not follow navigation and international safety regulations, this is why a request to JICA was for a new ferry was formally made by SSC, to make transportation between the two Samoas safer,” says Manuao. Manuao explains that the demand for passenger and vehicle transportation between the two main islands of Samoa has been increasing yearly. “JICA stepped in to heed this request to improve transportation services between Upolu and Savaii”, says Tomihara. The new ferry is said to have all the features required for comfortable traveling including a first class section and a safer area for the seamen to stay,” says Manuao. Manuao explains that this will also make transportation far more efficient, and quicker, as it will take a shorter time for this new ferry to travel between Upolu and Savaii. Manuao explains that this new ferry will also hold more passengers and will be equipped with a lot of life saving appliances. However, JICA and the Japanese government have also aided the Mulifanua wharf before, providing a technical cooperation program for engine maintenance conducted by JICA with exchange equipment and dispatching maintenance engines. The Samoa Shipping Cooperation engineers only have sufficient level of understanding for the usual maintenance. “JICA has been assisting with the improvement of maintenance skills for over 20 years now,” says Manuao. The total cost of spare parts donated by JICA and the Japanese government for the cyclone damages amounted to US$2million in 1990. . Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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