The American Samoa Governor, Togiola Tulafono, says it is unfortunate that the legislature has decided not to back a bill which would allow the Government to purchase the assets of Samoa Packing cannery.
The cannery shut down and left the territory last month.
The bill was to appropriate five million US dollars to buy the remaining equipment, the lease and other property at the tuna canning plant.
The Governor says the territory is missing out on an opportunity which may not come again.
“If we don’t do this what is going to happen is Samoa Packing is going to hold on to the lease and it is still going to be another three years - that means three years of no activities in this facility. It is going to go to waste. At the end of three years none of the equipment there is going to be useful. They are all going to be lost.â€
