We can all heave a sigh of relief, following the announcement by the Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure, that the name of a new Government-owned vessel will not be changed.

Olo Fiti Va'ai, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer last weekend, advised that the Lady Samoa IV will retain its original name when it takes over from the ageing MV Lady Naomi this week to serve the Samoa–American Samoa route.

An article (Name of new vessel won’t change: Minister) in the Monday 31 October 2022 edition of the Samoan Observer reported on the Minister’s decision to retain the original name of the vessel, which was funded by the Government of Japan’s aid program for Samoa at the cost of $66.74 million tala.

Olo said changing the new vessel’s name would have further delayed its arrival in Samoa.

"By the time we asked for the name to be changed, the vessel had already begun its journey to Samoa," Olo told this newspaper. "So in order for the changes to be made, it would mean that we had to send the vessel back to Japan to change the name and further delay its arrival to the country. 

"So we had decided to just go with what we have now as there is a great need for the new vessel to commence its service between Samoa and American Samoa.”

But there is another reason that we think far outweighs all the other factors that the Minister should have considered – added cost to the Government of Japan’s aid program after it had already paid for the vessel’s manufacturing.

Why should the Government of Japan foot the bill for any extra cost just because the current Government didn’t like the original name of the new passenger/cargo ship which was an initiative of the former Administration?

It is good to see common sense finally prevailing in this matter, with Olo later telling this newspaper on Saturday, that they are also mindful of the cost involved with making changes to the vessel’s name.

"By the time I took over, the name had already been marked on the vessel and was already launched,” the Minister said. 

“But we were also mindful of the cost we would pay in order to make the changes and to have it sent back to Japan to change the name. 

"For us, we would rather have the boat here offering its service for our people than delivering on what we have proposed. The name does not really matter.”

Correct Mr. Minister, the service to the people should be all that matters – not the name or even the significance of the name, especially when Samoa is not the one footing the bill afterall.

We recall in July this year, when the Minister declared that the new ship’s name will be changed to MV Lady Naomi 60, in order to have some consistency in the names of Government-owned vessels that serve the domestic and international routes.

He added that the name change was to also reflect the country’s 60th Independence anniversary.

At that time we could only sympathise with Embassy of Japan officials, who would have had difficulties trying to explain to their superiors in Tokyo the “new” expenditure item announced by the Minister, which he later abandoned.

Perhaps, Olo and his Ministry might want to turn their focus to concerns expressed in July this year, about the chaotic cargo unloading in Pago Pago every time the Lady Naomi docked in the territory. The Minister assured that the matter will be taken up by the Samoa Shipping Corporation Board and immediate action taken.

With Samoa’s multimillion tala vessel set to begin service to the U.S. territory after its official commissioning by the Government, we can already see the vessel enhancing trade relations between the two neighbours and working for the common good of our people.

Thanks again to the people and the Government of Japan for funding the manufacturing of the vessel under its aid programme for Samoa.