Samoa

New housing corporation WESTERN SAMOA has established a Housing Corporation with a capital of WS$l million (U 55430,000). The money will be lent to low-income families, with lending being limited in each case to US$l4,OOO with interest set slightly be low the commercial bank rates. The loans will be advanced for a 20-year

period.

Airport lights repaired RUNWAY lights at Pago Pago’s interna tional airport have now been repaired and the runway is now open again to night landings and takeoffs. The airport was restricted to daylight operations while 10,000 metres of underground cable much of it waterlogged was replaced.

Port ready on time APIA’S port development is expected to be completed in March next year the scheduled time despite the damage caused to the harbour by Cyclone Ofa.

Japanese aid is funding the work which will make Apia harbour much less vulnerable to sea swell by the construc tion of a breakwater. The main wharf is being enlarged and there will be a new container yard and ferry terminal. The Japanese companies involved in the pro ject said they now expect to complete work on target.

Ofa empties markets FAGATOGO market in Pago Pago is now bare of the staple fruit, bananas, and there are now fears of crop disease problems, reports the Samoa Journal & Advertiser. Plantations of bananas were worst hit by Cyclone Ofa than the low lying taro plants. The director of Amer ican Samoa’s Agriculture Department, Lauofo Ta’alo, said new bananas should appear on trees during July and August but there may be few fingers on the plants he fears an outbreak of Black Leaf disease. Taro crops could also be hit if there were to be an outbreak of Army Worm or Leafhopper. Disease outbreaks have occurred often after hur ricanes.