The construction of a new school building for Vaigaga Primary School is expected to start in October this year and be completed by April next year.

The Samoa Government has kicked off the process to engage a construction company to build a new building for the primary school. Interested contractors have been asked by the implementing agency, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) to make submissions. 

To be considered eligible a contractor must not be under any notice of debarment issued by the Samoa Government and the World Bank. Interested contractors should not be bankrupt or insolvent and demonstrate that they are paying taxes to the Government. All bids must be addressed to the Chairperson of the Samoa National Tenders Board by September 2023. 

The construction of a new building at the premises of the primary school in Apia was stalled after a verbal exchange between two politicians in 2020.

However, the Samoa Government announced last year that a SAT$745,050 contract was awarded to local firm O.S.M. Consultants in partnership with BECA International Consultants to design and supervise the construction.

The contract was approved and awarded in December last year under the Pacific Resilience Programme/PREP Samoa CON12C, according to information published by the Ministry of Finance on its website. The $745,050 contract awarded to OSM Consultants and BECA International Consultants was approved by both the Tenders Board and the Cabinet. 

Other bidders for the project included AG Architects, Architect AGM and Tinai, Gordon and Associates Ltd, Kramer Ausenco (Samoa) Ltd, Origin Engineering Ltd & Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec, Stewart Architecture Ltd, Hydroplan Ingenuir-Gesellschaft, Project Planning and Management Ltd, and KBB Associates & Technology Consults Ltd.

The Vaigaga Primary School Rebuilding Project initially came under the Samoa component of the World Bank-supported P.R.E.P. approved by the former government in 2019. The World Bank offered funding for the primary school project but later withdrew it after it was advised by the administration at that time that it was switching to local funding sources.

A fallout between the then-prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and the then Faleata No. 3 M.P. Leatinuu Wayne So’oialo over the cost estimates of the project led to the former Administration declaring the project would be locally funded. Consequently, World Bank funding for the project was not drawn down.

The primary school was selected for funding following the findings of a World Bank-financed study completed in 2019 from which Vaigaga Primary School was selected by the then government as one of the schools to be rebuilt. 

Leatinuu, who is now the Faleata No. 2 and the Minister of Public Enterprises, said the reason why the cost of the school building was expensive at that time was due to it being a model school for natural disaster shelters. 

He said the school building would have a dual-purpose role as not only a natural disaster shelter but also a school building for the students. According to the Minister, the school building was constructed over 40 years ago and inspections found it to be unsafe for use with recommendations for it to be rebuilt.