Samoa

“There will always be some shortages as also seen in New Zealand,” says Health Director Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma.

He revealed that the reasons can be, “shortages of raw materials, getting it here on time, and speed of payments.”

When asked about what has been done to address this issue, Aiono said, “many meetings discussing many options and more planned.”

Furthermore, the Director General explained that shipments are received every week and essential drugs are already stocked.

“Still waiting on some drugs that are needed for specific cases.”

But the initial suspected case has been ruled out after tests were returned from New Zealand.

Government newspaper Savali reported the Health Ministry is maintaining its strict surveillance and monitoring duties for a potential outbreak of measles in the wake of alerts from New Zealand and Australia.

During the 2019 measles outbreak 83 lives were lost, mostly young children.

To honour the special day tomorrow, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour has set aside the universal theme “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transitions” but chooses to proceed raising commitment in engaging consumers and businesses to interact in a solid and competitive trading environment by conducting outreach programs.

Lui takes over from former CEO, Lemauga Hobart Vaai, who resigned to move overseas in late January 2023.

The newly appointed CEO was officially introduced to Chamber members at their meeting held on 6 March 2023.

Lui is a former ACEO for the Aid Coordination and Debt Management division under the Ministry of Finance and has served the Government for over 19 years.

With her high calibre and vast experience in the public service, Lui’s appointment will look to further foster the Public-Private Partnership.

Samoa’s Ministry of Customs and Revenue (MCR) welcomed the delegation, which was led by Chief of Customs, Elisara Elisara.

It also comprised of five managers and officers in charge of Customs units as well as two officials from the IT team in the Treasury Department.

The week-long visit was facilitated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which stemmed from the Atoa Samoa discussions held in October, 2022.

 Located at the southward extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Pacific island nations (PICs) are important economic and trade partners of China. Currently, China has inked Memorandums of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation with all 10 PICs with diplomatic relations with China.

Fiame also announced that the Government is looking at reviewing the minimum wage reports Savali newspaper.

The initiative by the Government is part and parcel of a wide range of financial reforms to help residents and families purchase power and to tackle the rising inflation and costs of living associated to the post Covid-19 era.

PasifikaTV is excited to be broadcasting the series to the Pacific in what is sure to be another delicious celebration of vibrant food from across the region that highlights the passion and skill of the people making it.

Teams of two will be representing the Kingdom of Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea.

Season 3 will take place over six episodes, displaying the skills of contestants while also educating viewers on how food can be used to address issues the Pacific is facing including obesity, stunting, diabetes and climate change.

Other countries that will benefit from these grants are Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Tonga. 

According to a statement from ADB, the support comes from the fourth phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Programme and will provide Kiribati with an $8 million grant, Samoa with a $10 million grant, Solomon Islands with a $5 million grant and a $5 million loan, and Tonga a $10 million grant.

All four countries have made strong progress on building the resilience of their institutions, which build on the previous phases of the programme.

Initial reports indicate the bus went off the road and overturned injuring passengers.

The accident was confirmed by the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA) Commissioner, Tanuvasa Petone Mauga in an interview.

According to Tanuvasa, SFESA teams were deployed to the scene and they are also gathering all details of the incident.

He said that a full report is expected to be ready by next week especially on how many people were injured and whether any lives were lost.