Nivaga II
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:57 pm
The islands of Tuvalu are served by a passenger and cargo vessel, the M.V. Nivaga II, based at Funafuti, which occasionally calls at Suva, Fiji. Shipping services operate from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand calling at the main port of Funafuti.
The 18-year-old ship, MV Nivaga II, needs major refitting in many areas. On April 26, 2007, Nivaga II traveled more than 20 days to Taiwan for refitting. It was scheduled to remain in Taiwan for 21 days but ended up taking 61 days due to other maintenance projects and the wait for appropriate spare parts. It finally returned to Funafuti on July 30, 2007, after 18 days of journey on the sea.
Since the fourth session of the parliament was in progress as Nivaga II arrived, Mr. Panapasi Nelesone, Secretary to Government, and Mr. Tapugao Falefou, Secretary for Transport and Communication, were instructed to welcome the ship. Ambassador Daniel Liao and staff of Taiwan’s embassy and technical mission were also present at the welcoming ceremony, which was held on the deck as the ship was anchoring alongside the wharf.
Ambassador Liao was given the first opportuniy to present his remarks. He stated that Taiwan was delighted to assist Tuvalu in refitting Nivaga II and wished the ship success in the years to come. On behalf of the government of Tuvalu, Government Secretary Nelesone, extended his sincere appreciation to the government of Taiwan for helping to refit the vessel. He wished Nivaga II the best of luck and reminded the crew to take good care of the ship.
Mr. Lefata Paeniu, Captain of Nivaga II talked of their experiences in Taiwan, and praised the Taiwan Shipping Company for its professionalism, technical skill, efficiency and dedication to repairing of NivagaII. He added that during their stay in Taiwan, they were very well taken care of by the company. They also had the opportunity to meet Tuvaluan students studying in Taiwan, who visited them every now and then. The ten students were very thoughtful and bought white T-shirts showing Taiwan with a big red heart as souvenirs for the captain and the 24 crew members.
As NivagaII arrived, they all put on these t-shirts. In addition, the ship also carried goods from Taiwan, including 400-plus Taiwanese milkfish. The chef of the ship was kind enough to prepare a gorgeous dish of steamed Taiwanese milkfish at the reception after the ceremony. It was a wonderful opportunity for the staff of the Taiwan embassy and the technical mission to enjoy a meal from home.
(Embassy of the Republic of China(Taiwan),
Tuvalu SG MS563