PM QUESTIONS FORMER POLY CHIEF’S COMPETENCE
By: Joshua Lafoa’i
Statements by one of the FAST Political Party’s election candidates, Fauo’o Fatu Tielu condemning the Government’s decision to resurrect the international carrier and rebrand it as Samoa Airways is not going unnoticed.
Rejecting Fauo’o’s public statements published by the Samoa Observer, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi says that Fauo’o’s prejudices towards the Samoa Airways shows his “incompetence.”
“He (Fauo’o) should have remained silent and concentrate on his election campaign instead of exposing his incompetence during his tenure with Polynesian Airlines,” added the Prime Minister.
The Former Polynesian Airlines Chief Executive is quoted by the newspaper as saying that the Government made the “wrong move” to revive international flights (via Samoa Airways) and should have sought partnerships with other bigger airlines to survive the market.
Fauo’o also questioned government’s initiative to pick up on Samoa Airways international travels saying Polynesian airlines made profit with just the inter-island travels between the two Samoas.
And the Prime Minister repelled the comments labelling it as narrow minded thinking, short sighted and lacks vision.
“If that is his vision, then he has a very short sighted approach to this regard. He’s talking about inter-island travel between Samoa and Tutuila making money. Of course it will make money,” Tuilaepa said.
“Whether you sleep on the job or you’re incompetent, you’re going to make a profit because you’re the only one servicing the route between the two,” he said.
“You hold the monopoly and because there’s no competition, you’re going to make money regardless,” he said.
“It is similar to the inter-island shipping services between Upolu and Savaii. There is no competition,” he added.
Tuilaepa has stood by the decision made by government on the resurrection of Samoa Airways.
The Prime Minister says Samoa Airways is a leap that the government must make and has been in the planning.
“What Fauo’o does not realize is that the more he airs out his frustrations the more it shows how narrow his foresight is. Inter-island travel is not a problem for Samoa because it is almost guaranteed money and for him who has been in his comfort zone for so many years, there wasn’t any room to grow,” he added.
As for Samoa Airways, the Prime Minister maintained that while the national carrier is experiencing unavoidable turbulences mostly due to the COVID19 pandemic, Government remains firm on its commitment to support Samoa Airways because it’s the best investment in terms of tourism which is the main stay of Samoa’s economy and also will inject revenues across the board from the transport sector to the accommodation industries and supporting services.
“Everyone in the airline support services sector are the benefactors not to mention new employment opportunities for the country,” he concluded.
