Photo: RNZI
The governor of American Samoa has predicted the departure of the StarKist tuna cannery in the next five years unless the US government intervenes.
Lolo Matalasi Moliga made the statement as part of his address to the Fono's joint opening session.
He said his administration had played its part with exemption measures to help the cannery compete with other companies, but he said the federal government needed to restore laws that benefitted the company.
Lolo said Washington had taken away a tax credit and terminated a tax incentive, forcing American Samoa to grant the cannery tax exemptions and preferential land leases.
He said the automatic minimum wage increase imposed by the US every three years had forced the Tri Marine cannery to terminate its operation and was deterring other investors from coming to American Samoa.
Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller
