Tuvalu not ready to join PASO
By Silafaga Lalua
Tuvalu still has a lot of issue to address before it can join the Pacific Aviation Safety Office PASO.
Tuvalu was invited to be an observer at the recent PASO meeting held in Canberra, Australia, and Secretary of Communications and Transport Ministry Tapugao Falefou represented the ministry and the country.
PASO is responsible to its members for regional aviation safety oversight, including airport and airline operational safety and security standards
Falefou told Tuvalu news that there are a number of concerns that Tuvalu has-over deciding whether it is worth being part of PASO, taking into account the benefits that any member of regional organizations such as this one can offer its members.
The major barrier to Tuvalu’s becoming a member of PASO is finance, with the membership fee alone being ten thousand US dollars.
But as Falefou said the organization needs it especially when it has just opened a new office and also needs it to fund the many operations it needs to carry out to ensure aviation safety for its members for years to come.
If Tuvalu becomes a member of PASO and needs a Technical Assistant to come here and assist us with any aviation problem, he comes at a dear cost that will be separate from the ten grand fee Mr Falefou says.
Tuvalu news learnt that Nauru just became the newest member, bringing the number of PASO members to 12.
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