Samoa Shipping Corporation

Last updated
Samoa Shipping Corporation
Samoa Shipping Corporation Logo.jpg
Agency overview
Formed1974 (1974)
TypePublic trading body
Employees209 (in 2020) [1] : 18 
Annual budget$20.6 million (in 2020) [1] : 15 
Minister responsible
  • Minister of Works, Transport & Infrastructure
Agency executive
  • Leiataua Samuel Phineas, Chief Executive

The Samoa Shipping Corporation is a government-owned company in Samoa which provides freight and passenger services between Savai'i, Upolu and American Samoa. Established in 1974, the corporation is managed as a public trading body under the Public Bodies (Performance and Accountability) Act 2001. [2]

Contents

The corporation also provides maritime support services, including engineering services in Apia [3] and a slipway at Satitoa in Aleipata. [4] It maintains facilities at Mulifanua, Salelologa, Apia and Pago Pago.

History

MV Lady Samoa II at the Mulifanua ferry terminal Samoa - Mulifanua ferry.JPG
MV Lady Samoa II at the Mulifanua ferry terminal

The corporation was initially funded by overseas aid. In 1974 the New Zealand government provided NZ$450,000 for the construction of a roll-on/roll-off ferry terminal at Mulifanua. [5] In 1977 the Australian government provided a ferry, the MV Queen Salamasina. [6] The company was unprofitable for its first twenty years, and gained a reputation for inefficiency. In 1985 it bought a "luxury boat", only to sell it back to the original owners just two years later for less than it had paid for it. [7] It finally started delivering dividends to the government in the late 1990's. [8] In 2001 it expanded its fleet, adding the Samoa Express on the Apia - Tokelau route. [9]

In 2008 the company constructed a wharf and slipway at Satitoa in Aleipata to reduce travel time to American Samoa and allow vessels to be maintained locally. [10] The new terminal was unpopular with exporters, [11] and services were shifted back to Apia after the Lady Naomi was damaged due to the dock not being deep enough. [12]

In 2011 it opened its engineering facility in Apia. [13] In 2012 it began providing bimonthly services to the northern Cook Islands and to Tokelau. [14]

In 2019 - 2020 the company made a profit of $332,000, which was reduced due to the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak. [15]

Fleet

MV Fotu o Samoa II Samoa ferry Fotu o Samoa II.jpg
MV Fotu o Samoa II

Current

Samoa Shipping currently operates five vessels: [1] : 13 

Past

Related Research Articles

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Cyclone Val

Severe Tropical Cyclone Val was considered to be the worst tropical cyclone to affect the Samoan Islands since the 1889 Apia cyclone.

Cyclone Tusi

Severe Tropical Cyclone Tusi was a tropical cyclone which affected the island nations of Tuvalu, Tokelau, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Niue and the Southern Cook Islands during January 1987. The precursor tropical depression to Cyclone Tusi developed on January 13, within a trough of low pressure near the island nation of Tuvalu. Over the next few days the system gradually developed further before it was named Tusi during January 16, after it had become equivalent to a modern-day category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. After being named the system gradually intensified as it moved southeastwards along the trough, between the islands of Fakaofo and Swains during January 17. Tusi's eye subsequently passed near or over American Samoa's Manu'a Islands early the next day, as the system peaked in intensity with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 150 km/h (90 mph). The system subsequently posed a threat to the Southern Cook Islands, however this threat gradually diminished as Tusi moved southwards and approached 25S during January 20.

Outrigger canoeing at the 2019 Pacific Games was held in Samoa from 9–13 July at the Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort, Mulifanua, which is approximately 40 kilometres west of the capital, Apia.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Annual Report 2020" (PDF). Samoa Shipping Corporation. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Samoa Shipping Corporation". Ministry for Public Enterprises. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Marine engineering & fabrication services". Samoa Shipping Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Slipway Services". Samoa Shipping Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "Ferry Service". Pacific Islands Monthly. 45 (7). 1 July 1974. p. 33. Retrieved 19 September 2021– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "SAMOA'S MV QUEEN SALAMASINA SOLD TO FIJI'S PATTERSON BROTHERS SHIPPING". Pacific Islands Report. 22 November 1999. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Luxury lady sold for $1m". Samoa Observer. 21 October 1987. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "SAMOA SHIPPING CORPORATION ON WINNING COURSE". Pacific Islands Report. 24 August 2000. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "SAMOA SHIPPING ANNOUNCES $1.6 MILLION IN PROFITS". Pacific Islands Report. 1 October 2001. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "SAMOA WHARF PROJECT BRINGS PROMISE OF TRADE". Pacific Islands Monthly. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "SAVAII EXPORTERS PROTEST SAMOA SHIPPING ROUTE". Pacific Islands Report. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "SAMOA FERRY RETURNS TO WHARF AT MATAUTU". Pacific Islands Report. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "SAMOA SHIP REPAIR FACILITY OPENS NEW HORIZONS". Pacific Islands Report. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "Samoa inter-island ferries to service the Cook Islands and Tokelau". RNZ. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (25 March 2021). "Samoa Shipping Corporation profit plummets". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "SAMOA'S QUEEN SALAMASINA MAKES HER FINAL VOYAGE TO PAGO PAGO". Pacific Islands Report. 26 January 1999. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "JAPAN PRESENTS SAMOA WITH $15 MILLION FERRY". Pacific Islands Report. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  18. ↑ "Samoa Ferry On 'Lifesaving Mission' To Tokelau Waters". Pacific Islands Report. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "'MV Samoa Express II' officially joins fleet". Loop Samoa. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "Tokelau Presents Samoa Shipping Corporation With Ferry". Pacific Islands Report. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
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