Pacific

Samoan luxury resort developers pay latest instalment to landowners

10:22 am on 24 September 2013

A US company with plans to build a luxury resort on Samoa's Savai'i Island has anounced another US$51,410 payment to landowners.

The payment is for the use of 600 acres of land in Sasina where the South Pacific Development Group plans to build its US$107 million resort.

CEO, Tupaisina Jesse James, says the firm is in Samoa to make sure the project gets started.

He distanced himself from other overseas investors who are under investigation or have not started their projects after many years.

Tupaisina Jesse James says he's not under any type of investigation but funding is secure, just delayed due to the world financial crisis.

The South Pacific Development Group has signed a 100 year land lease for 240 hectares of ocean front land in Sasina.

The speaker of Parliament La'auli Leauatea is one of the landowners behind the project.

The deal requires the company to make annual payments of $120,000 each JUly.