Samoa will receive its new international passenger vessel MV Lady Samoa IV in August this year, the Samoa Government has announced.

The new vessel was officially launched on Tuesday in Hiroshima, Japan at the Setoda Shipyard of Naikai Zosen Corporation and will replace the MV Lady Naomi. The new ship was built with funding from Japan’s grant aid assistance program. 

The naming and launching ceremony of the vessel was attended by Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa via video link from Apia. 

Samoa’s Ambassador to Japan, Fa'alava'au Perina Sila-Tualaulelei also attended the ceremony and was joined by the Senior Coordinator, International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ohmura Kazuyoshi, the Mayor of Onomichi City - Hiratani Yukihiro, JICS and the President and executives of the Naikai Zosen Corporation.

Ambassador Sila-Tualaulelei thanked the Government of Japan for their continuous assistance. 

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Independent State of Samoa, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for its continued assistance to Samoa’s development aspirations,” she said, according to a statement issued by the Press Secretariat.

Fa'alava'au added that the new vessel will contribute to the strengthening of Samoa’s maritime connectivity and enhance safe and efficient sea transportation, economic and trade links with American Samoa.

The MV Lady Samoa IV features an environment-friendly design with consideration for passenger comfort, advanced technology throughout and is equipped to handle a wide variety of cargo shipments. Its overall length is 48metres, international gross tonnage of 1,130 tons and a complement of 297 (280 passengers and 17 crew). 

Following the launch, the vessel will remain at the shipyard in Hiroshima to be outfitted, undergo a series of performance inspections, and provide operational training to its Samoan crew before it is delivered to Apia in August this year.

The project for the construction of the new vessel to succeed MV Lady Naomi (constructed in 1998) was approved by the Government of Japan under its ESDP grant aid assistance.

MV Lady Naomi has serviced the Samoa and American Samoa route and is over 20 years old. Samoa Shipping Corporation in 2019 said the new Japanese-built vessel to replace the MV Lady Naomi will cost $66.74 million tala. However, there were delays in the project due to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic.