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Govt of Tonga strikes a deal with Satala shipyard for vessel maintenance

The Tongan government is the latest client of the American Samoa Shipyard Services Authority, with its patrol boat being dry docked at the Satala shipyard facility for at least one more week.

 

Earlier in June, a delegation from Tonga that included officials from their government owned shipping company was in the territory. The delegation met with local ASG officials including those from the shipyard, which the governor has called to be privatized before the end of the year.

 

Shipyard board chairman David Robinson said the Tongan government boat went up on the slipway two Sundays ago for two weeks to have mechanical work done, along with  welding and painting as part of its routine maintenance program.

 

He says the vessel was alongside the dock area for over a week prior to going up on the slipway so they "could carry out some internal work prior to dry docking.”

 

“We are coordinating the work with Australian naval personnel who are here with the vessel. We should put it back into the water for sea trials on or about 20 Oct,” he said and shared more good news. "We have arranged with the Tongan Shipping Agency to dry dock two more government vessels early in the new year" for work to be carried out at the Satala facility.

 

Previously those vessels were all sent to Fiji for repairs, but the Tongan government has not been happy with the quality of work carried out there, or the charges that they have been paying, Robinson said.

 

The Tongan government sent a delegation here recently and it was hosted by the Commerce Department director, who introduced the delegation members to our shipyard and "assisted with the negotiations leading to the agreement to send their vessels here,” Robinson said.

 

When the two ferry boats arrive here next year, they will bring with them fruit and vegetables from Tonga to sell through the Tongan Market in Tafuna and they will buy a range of merchandise items from wholesalers here to send back for sale in Nuku'alofa and other towns in Tonga, he said.

 

“Hopefully this two way trade will develop into regular business,” Robinson said.

 

Meanwhile, Robinson said “we have a full order booked at the shipyard for dry docking of fishing vessels, purse seiners and longliners till the end of April next year, and we are staring to increase our workforce again to accommodate all this work — and that is good news.”