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By Fili Sagapolutele
Samoa News Correspondent
Locally-based Quantum Pacific (QP) has been contracted by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to find solutions to address the persistent power problems in this U.S. territory.
The company, whose top officials are all former employees of the American Samoa Power Authority, submitted a bid three months ago and some representatives were already in Saipan to conduct assessment.
QP's 30-page proposal to CNMI lists company officialsas Gary Sword, Utu Abe Malae, Perelini S. Perelini, Wallon Young, Will Sword and Wilfredo Carreon. Other former ASPA personnel are reportedly with QP.
QP official Gerhard Sword said the company has an initial three month $250,000 contract scheduled to begin January 16 in the CNMI for the Commonwealth Utility Corporation (CUC).
The contract calls for solutions to the persistent power problems in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) with short term, medium term and long term goals for the Commonwealth.
Sword said it will be conducted by a team that will advise, prepare a strategy and execute it.
"The consultancy is unusual in that it calls for the team to implement ideas put forth by the CNMI rather than just tell others what needs to be done," he points out.
"The CNMI government is currently reviewing all options for CUC, including privatization of the utility," he said. "Quantum Pacific will not replace any local CNMI staff but will work alongside them. QP is currently evaluating the available personnel and timing for the challenging work to assure the most economical and practical approach to the problems."
As an American Samoan corporation, Sword said it is indeed an honor for Quantum Pacific to be chosen for this project and "we are sure that working in tandem with the capable people at CUC we can overcome electricity supply challenges."
"We are not the first Samoans to secure contracts in the CNMI. Fifteen years ago the first Samoan 'missionaries' to the CNMI were the teachers from American Samoa," he said. "These were all highly acclaimed in their fields and are well loved and respected in the CNMI."
He said many other Samoans continue to contribute to the CNMI community including Jerome Ierome from Tula who is the first Samoan to hold a cabinet position in the CNMI government.
Sword says, "We have been criticized for taking the bright people from American Samoa abroad since most of the people we will be using in the CNMI were former ASPA employees."
"It is no sin to try to better your lot by applying your God given talents in employment where you are appreciated. These professionals felt unwelcome or were made redundant by ASPA board and management and QP was formed as a way to keep the talent in the Pacific region."
Sword said QP has a good Pacific neighbor policy which provides for the needs of the Pacific neighbors and keeps the talent in the Pacific region and the company is taking those not being utilized locally and utilizing them in the region.
QP is not only consulting but is helping other local contractors obtain work outside of American Samoa using a network developed over the years, he said.
"We helped to facilitate a venue for two local companies to bid multi-million dollar jobs in Micronesia. Where we see an opportunity for a Samoan company to contribute to an Island community we will put the right people in touch with each other," said Sword. "It takes time to build a relationship in unfamiliar territory but QP will help build the way by using our contacts to benefit local people."
"As for not coming back to American Samoa, the Samoan saying is 'e lele lava le toloa, ae ma'au i le vai'. We will come back home when it is time. Case in point: the Samoan teachers that went to the CNMI have returned home to contribute to American Samoa. This is good for us as a Pacific people: we can share our expertise and still return home to contribute after having helped our neighbors. If we went to the U.S. mainland we'ld probably just stay there."
"In Micronesia the expression for our philosophy is 'same water.' This means we are brothers in the Pacific Ocean since the same Pacific Ocean water that laps the shores of Micronesia also wets the beaches of American Samoa. We need to take care of each other," Sword concluded.
Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com
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