The Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters believes the solution to the announcement by the country’s biggest private sector employer Yazaki Eds Limited to cease operations is right in our back yard.
Association President Tagaloa Eddie Wilson made reference to unfarmed family-owned lands and new markets opening up for produce export to countries like Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.
“We cannot exactly employ them all, those 700 jobless people. But we can assure you with our collaboration and their commitment through working our lands, they can become millionaires in two years tops,” he said.
Tagaloa says the decline in employment will take a toll on Samoa’s wealth but the solution is as simple as growing taro, yams, or vegetables in our backyards.
“We have so many markets opening up now from all over the world and we’re not just exporting whole raw produce. Now New Zealand and Australian manufacturers are asking for our locally-made products as well for their use,” he added.
“And all these are found in our country, all they need to do is work the lands,” he added.
Tagaloa made the comments at a workshop hosted by SAME alongside Pacific Islands Trades and Invest with the support of the New Zealand Government.
Acting New Zealand High Commissioner Mike Walsh describes the workshop as a must have and a crucial part of the ongoing growth of Samoa’s development in trade and especially market exploration.
“I feel that Samoa and New Zealand need to balance out the imports and exports, so our Government is pleased to take part in this workshop. It’s crucial to ensuring that the 24 businesses and producers here see that the markets to selling their products overseas is as big as it gets for them, that way they can be encouraged to work hard,” he said.
New Zealand exports about $103m worth of goods to Samoa while Samoa only exports $3m to New Zealand.
It is this number Tagaloa says must be balanced out.
“Samoa is New Zealand’s neighbor and in order for us to grow we must look after our neighbouring countries as well. We share the same code, New Zealand is an export country as well, if we don’t export, we don’t survive, and that’s why we must understand what SAME is trying to do and recognize it,” he added.