A $3.57 million tala contract to build a new airport at Tia’vea has been awarded to a company owned by the son of Associate Minister Peseta Vaifou Tevaga.

A paper from Cabinet, F.K. (18) 28, issued on 15 August 2018 has advised that the airport contract has been awarded to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd.

The said company is owned by Peseta’s son, Leiataua Danny Tevaga. 

Peseta is the Associate Minister of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is also the Associate Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Attorney General and Public Service Commission. 

The F.K. stated that the contract was discussed by the Cabinet, which then endorsed the decision by the Tenders Board to award the contract to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Limited in the amount of $3,574,890 inclusive of taxes. 

Asked by Sunday Samoan yesterday on his involvement in the company, Peseta said the company is overseen and operated by his son.

“I am not involved in the project of this company,” he said.

However, he revealed during the interview that the company (Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd) has received a confirmation letter from the Ti’avea village council, which gave the green light for the airport project to go ahead. 

“The runway is 1,000 meters long. It’s a small Airport similar to the Fagali’i Airport, but a longer runway." 

“We anticipate starting the project with setting the boundaries next week Tuesday with the Ti’avea village council and as soon as that is done, we will get to the construction of the runway." 

“The contract is for the runaway alone and so we are looking at hiring up to 30 people from the village for labor work, while we provide the operators for the machineries and equipment,” he added. 

According to Peseta, the construction of the runway will take up to four months and they anticipate completing the project by February 2019. 

“The terminals (at the airport) will be a different project and is not included in this contract,” he added.