Five years after bringing the first digital television platform to Samoa, the Samoa Digital Communications Limited (SDCL) is up for sale.
This was confirmed in a newspaper advertisement. The tender for the digital TV is 30 May 2022.
According to the advertisement SDCL and its mother company, Samoa Bluebird Lumber and Hardware invites tender and bids from qualified companies to purchase the first digital platform in its entirety.
All the bids are to be addressed to the Chairman of the SDCL, Tuiaopo Faamausili Andrew Ah Liki.
The advertisement states to obtain the Terms of Reference for the tender, interested parties can contact Aomanu Andrew Junior Ah Liki or Lefaoali’i Unutoa Auelua who is a former Regulator.
In February, three television stations in the country were told to pay an increased tariff of $23,000 from $18,000.
The new tariff only applies to TV1, TV3, and EFKS and this is to be paid to Samoa Digital Company Ltd owned by Fa’amausili Andrew Ah Liki, effective in March.
According to a presentation paper conducted by Regulator Gisa Fuata’i Purcell, the decision follows a review of the audited accounts of the three TV stations, of total assets of more than $4.7 million which is also 92 percent of the total assets values of seven broadcasters.
In 2018 Cabinet approved Samoa Digital Company Ltd to oversee the switchover from analog to digital broadcasting systems in Samoa, and their initial monthly tariff set in 2019 was $35,759 monthly tariff, however, under the previous Administration, it was reduced down to $18,000 per month.
