Dear Editor,

The new airport is all fine and dandy if the project is employing Samoan labour. This is what major infrastructure projects are supposed to do, they are a way of employing citizens so they can then spend money they earn creating business for local grocery stores, department stores, building supply stores, farmers etc,... and then these local businesses can pay their employees who will then spend their wages in local stores, gas stations, etc.... 

This is the only purpose for big projects like this, to improve and boost the local economy. Unfortunately the name Shanghai Construction leads me to believe it is China that is improving their economy in the way I mentioned because the project may be being built with Chinese labour. 

If this is true the Samoan people are better off without this airport as they will eventually be on the hook to pay the loan. The only problem with that will be that it was the Chinese labour who made the money and that money is now in the hands of local Chinese families and local businesses in China, not Samoan families and businesses in Samoa. 

Another idea, taking into consideration the fighting between disenfranchised students in Samoa, is if senior students from Don Bosco who are learning trades could be hired to do some apprentice work on this project. 

This might keep them from throwing rocks in Apia, staying out of jail, and give them some marketable skills for the future. 

If the P.M. included these clauses in the airport deal then its an ok deal, if not its another stupid project by a P.M. who doesn’t care for his own people but would rather pander to the Chinese.

I know the PM understands this, as I believe he has a business or economics degree from Dalhousie University in Canada, and this is 101 economics.

Ueni