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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
(for immediate release – Saturday, April 12, 2008)
Contact: click here to email newsroom
Office: (684) 633-4116 - Fax: (684) 633-2269 - Cell: (684) 733-4680
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Governor Togiola signs agreement
to launch Call Center |
(left to right) Jack Dwyer - partner, Governor Togiola Tulafono, Mark Hunsaker, CEO of InfoTech, Toetasi Fue Tuiteleleapaga - Governor's Chief Legal Counsel, and John Newton, partner.
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(UTULEI) - Plans to build a major call center in American Samoa took a major step forward today when a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the American Samoa Government (ASG) and Information Technologies American Samoa (InfoTech) was signed by all parties at Government House on Maugaoali’i. The purpose of the MOU is to identify, with clarity, what each party will provide. InfoTech is the company that has been planning a call center operation here for over two years.
The MOU was presented to Governor Togiola Tulafono for signing in June of 2007. The plan was to sign the MOU once ASG was in substantial agreement to bring the PacRim East undersea fiber cable to American Samoa. In the meantime the parties have discussed all the provisions of the MOU and the Governor has expressed his agreement with the document. The final signing of the document was the culmination of several months of planning and review.
Governor Togiola expressed his delight with the official signing of the MOU and looks forward to the call center bringing in many benefits for the Territory.
“The signing of this MOU marks the official beginning of a project that has the potential to be the most important economic development initiative ever undertaken in American Samoa,” said Governor Togiola. “The call center is a creative way to take advantage of our uniqueness. We are Americans and have excellent English language skills. Thus, this is the type of true economic development we need. It will bring money and ideas to our islands, and at the same time it will provide excellent new and high level job opportunities for thousands of our people.”
InfoTech will now be able to complete contracts with their clients, finalize financing and begin building almost immediately.
Mark Hunsaker, CEO of InfoTech, said the company is excited a bout the project as it provides excellent employment opportunities for community college and secondary school graduates.
“You will be seeing a great deal of activity here as we start site preparation, begin construction, advertise job opportunities and begin training programs,” said Hunsaker. “Young people graduating from High School or ASCC and planning to leave the island for employment should reconsider before traveling because the call center has the potential to provide the kind of opportunity for which they may be looking.”
The InfoTech call center is just the first of many potential “intellectual service” companies that will be looking at American Samoa as a venue for operations. The term intellectual services describes companies offering services requiring special skills in areas such as computers, public relations, graphic arts, website design, accounting, reading, math, data storage and many more. Having an undersea fiber optic connection to the world provides an opportunity for intellectual service companies to locate in the Territory. The special English language skills available on island, combined with the status as a territory of the United States, makes American Samoa a very attractive location for intellectual service providers.
In addition to direct employment at the call center, many support businesses will be required. These will include such things as computer support, electronics, electrical, air conditioning, maintenance, security, food service, recreation and transportation. Existing services will expand their operations and new companies will be established to service the call center.
Because the call center will be paying well above current average wages, there will be a need for more vehicles, new housing, high-end clothing and other merchandise not affordable by most workers in the Territory.
Watch the local media for new developments, job opportunities and other exciting news. You can send email enquiries to info@infotechsamoa.com
InfoTech requests that you do not inquire about employment unless you are replying to specific employment opportunity advertisements. InfoTech would like to hear from you now if you have call center experience as a supervisor or trainer.
---americansamoa.gov---
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