“People-centred aspirations: Recovery, Inclusiveness and Resurgence”

My fellow citizens,

As we gather with family and friends, I want to wish everyone a happy New Year!

This is a time for reflection and of hope, with the knowledge that brighter days are ahead of us. 

Although our challenges may be numerous and tough, I know that each one of us has the courage and determination to rise up and meet them. 

2021 has been a challenging year for all of us. In any crisis, it becomes all the more necessary to move forward together as a nation, and as strong, resilient people to reinforce the confidence to cooperate and collaborate towards a future we want. 

The new year is upon us. 

We have accepted the uncertainties that remain but we are willing to usher in a new dawn to revisit our priorities and to listen attentively to emerging demands for a better quality of life for us all. We are poised to welcome and encourage the innovation of our people and their creativity to generate solutions. We have proven crisis-resilient potential.

Following the outcomes of the general elections, Cabinet though new, is committed to deliver people-centred priorities and encourage empowerment of communities. 

The Financial Year 2021-2022 budget was approved, and in no time implementation began in all sectors of the economy but with the primary focus on community and social development. Social impact assessments highlighted the importance of appropriate inclusive social protection measures to cater for our vulnerable population including people with disabilities.

Government’s financial assistance to the tourism sector, business community, and a number of employees’ associations provides continuing support to help address the impacts of COVID 19. While some may consider this assistance insufficient, it is the hope that payments will serve as a primer for the recovery of people’s livelihoods.

At the centre of people’s livelihoods are jobs. The government is keen to ensure that job offerings through the seasonal worker scheme of New Zealand and the labour mobility programs of Australia are made available to all communities on an equitable basis. Starkist of American Samoa continues to recruit workers for its tuna cannery operations. This year alone has seen more than five thousand workers utilize these opportunities. 

Employment and social safety nets will be strengthened further. The 20% reduction in the cost of electricity and water has come into effect and is inclusive of all users of these key utilities. 

The one million Tala project for district developments is on target. Government’s intention is to cover all districts in the near future. We will ensure that the Government, residents, businesses and talented individuals in our villages and districts can collectively work to devise practical and creative development strategies.

The contact-free economy and digital innovation are gaining speed globally. In our small isolated corner of the world there is growing interest and innovativeness to take advantage of these developments. All of these can only lead towards enhanced quality of the lives of our people.

I am pleased to acknowledge with gratitude the ready support of all our development partners who have stood by us to address our priority development needs amid the crises. The principle of mutual benefit continues to build on the development cooperation. 

I wish to pay tribute to our frontline workers, working tirelessly to safeguard Samoa. It is almost two years since the State of Emergency was declared for Samoa in the wake of the pandemic. So much work has been delivered to secure our borders, facilitate numerous flights and support traveller mobility for over 9,000 residents into and out of the country, expedite vaccines access and undertaking mass vaccination campaigns, and coordination of emergency responses through partnerships. 

I acknowledge the hard work of the national workforce. It has been a long and tiring year but you have indeed risen to the tasks, expectations and challenges.

It would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge the tremendous help that has come from the Diaspora around the globe through financial assistance, in kind services and moral support for our families in Samoa. Your contribution to the recovery of the economy is highly valued.

2022 will mark the 60^th year since we became an independent State. It will also be a year for recovery, a year for inclusiveness and a year for resurgence. It will be a time when we can gradually restore our daily lives, narrow disparities and recover the economy.

The Head of State’s Christmas message calls for unity in prayer and supplication to the Lord for Samoa. As a nation founded on God, there shall be no other way but through our unity in prayer, to seek divine guidance in our daily walk through life and what the future holds for us. When our perils are past – shall our gratitude go to sleep?  Certainly not. I am happy to announce that our week of prayer and fasting will begin on Sunday, 2^nd January until the 7^th of January, 2022. 

I wish you all a peaceful, blessed and safe New Year. 

Join us at the fireworks celebration to herald in 2022! 

Soifua

O lea ua faaifo malama o le tausaga a mavae, ae totogo ane faga-o-malama o le tausaga fou – 2022. Ua faō le vaa o mala, ae taoto i lago tonu le sa o manū i la tatou folauga. Faafetai le Atua le tautai, malo alofa. O lau pule lea ua toto tetele, ua o matou sāpaitali fa’atua eleele.

Ou te faatulou atu i le afio o lau Afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma lau Masiofo, Afio le Sui o le Fono a Sui Tofia, Afio le Sui Palemia ma Minisita o le Kapeneta. Afio lau Afioga i le Faamasino Sili ma Alii ma Tamaitai Faamasino, Afio lau Afioga i le Fofoga Fetalai ma Sui Mamalu o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono. O le Paia aua Aiga ma a latou Tama, O Tama ma o latou Aiga, Tumua ma Pule, Ituau ma Alataua, Aiga i le Tai ma le Vaa o Fonoti.

Ou te faatulou atu foi i le tapuaiga a Tutuila ma Manu’a. I le afio o le Kovana ma le Faigamalo i le Pulega Faatonu, le Faamasinoga, ma Maota e lua o le Palemene o Amerika Samoa.

O le paia lea aua le Faleagafulu ma le Nofo-a-Maopu, Sua ma le Vaifanua, Fofo ma Aitulagi, Ituau ma Alataua, Saole, ma le Launiu na Saelua.

Le afio o Faatuiolemotu, Le Laau na amotasi, Alalatai tootoo o le Faleula ma Upu i le Manuatele.

Ou te faatalofa atu i Sui o Malo ma tatou paaga mai Fafo, Faauluuluga o Matagaluega a le Malo, ma pisinisi tumaoti i le atunuu.

Ou te ofo alofa atu foi i le aufaigaluega paia a le Atua i tulaga tofi mamalu i le nofo a Ekalesia eseese i Samoa.

Ua faafofoga le atunuu i le malelega a lana afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo, i lana faamanuiga mo le Kerisimasi i le autu – o le Atua manumalo, ua afio mai, e mau faatasi ma ona tagata.

O la tatou malaga i lenei tausaga e mafai ona faamatalaina i upu faauuina o le Pese 18, o loo faamauina i le Tusi Pese a le Ekalesia Metotisi. E faapea lona faitauina. 

‘A pei se vaitafe le fifilemu,

Pe lutia nei i le sou,

I le olaga nei, ou te molimau pea,

E lelei, e lelei le Alii’. 

Na amata le tatou folauga i le amataga o lenei tausaga i le faamalumalu mai o faigata o le faamai oti o le Koviti 19. O ia faigata ua solovī ifo ai tamaoaiga o atunuu uma ma aafia ai le atinae auiluma o Malo o le lalolagi, ma soifuaaga faaletagata soifua ona o galuega ma pisinisi ua faaletonu.  Ona sosoo ai lea ma le faiga filifiliga a le atunuu i a Aperila, ma e le o toe po pe lilo mataupu na tulai mai, na tauau ai ina numi le fau, ma nunu le toau i Vaega Faaupufai. Peitai, e ui i nei souā, tatou te molimau faatasi, e tumau pea le faamaoni ma le matagofie o le Atua i aso uma. Ou te talitonu, ana le seanoa lana taitaiga mamana, tatou te le mafai ona aulia manuia mai le faaiuga o lenei tausaga. Ia fo’i le viiga ma le faaneetaga i le Atua. 

I le tulai mai ai o le faigamalo fou a le Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi, o se suiga tele lea talumai le 40 tausaga ua mavae i tulaga tau upufai o Malo. O tulaga masani ia o Malo temokarasi. E fesuiai faigamalo, e faapena foi i Taitai e tofia mai e le atunuu mai lea taimi i lea taimi, ae tasi le faamoemoe lautele e fau mau ai anava a soo se faigamalo, ia auauna mo le atunuu e atinae le Malo, tapu’e ma faatumau pulega lelei e faavae i tulafono ma faiga faavae maoti, ia aoaoina ma soifua maloloina le atunuu, ma soifua fiafia tagataanuu uma.

E faapena le agaga o loo laualuga i a te au ma le faigamalo ua tulai nei. E matou te naunau e faatino i le atoatoa auaunaga a le Malo, e ala i tomai ma le malosi ua aumai e le Atua, e faatino ai le tautua ia te oe Samoa le atunuu pele. 

Talu mai Iulai o le tausaga nei ina ua amata galuega a au nei ma le Kapeneta, ua maea ona faamaonia le Tala Faatatau Autu o le Tupe, ma ua faagasolo galuega a le Malo i ona itutino eseese uma. Ua maea ona faamatuu atu fesosoani tau tupe mo a tatou atinae tau turisi, o pisinisi, ma asosi o tagata faigaluega, e fesoasoani ai e tali atu i aafiga ogaoga ua tulai mai ona o le Koviti 19. 

Ua maea foi ona tuuitiitia le tau o le eletise ma le suavai i le 20%. O loo faagasolo foi le faamautuina o le faamatuuina atu o le tai tasi le miliona mo atinae o itumalo, e pei ona fuafuaina e le Malo.

O loo faaauau ona ave le faamuamua a le Malo i taumafaiga uma o loo faatino mo le puipuiga o le atunuu mai le Koviti 19. Ua atoa nei le lua tausaga o faatino lo tatou puipuiga, ma e ui i le tele o luitau i le fesuisuia’i o foliga o le siama, ma le faaauau pea ona pepesi ma maliliu tagata i le tele o atunuu o le lalolagi. Peitai o Samoa nei, o loo sologa manuia ma puipuia pea. 

E faapea foi i a tatou fesootaiga ma a tatou paaga o Malo ma Faalapotopotoga mai fafo, o loo faaauau pea ona tatou nutinuti mea faatasi i le atinaeina o si o tatou atunuu. E ui ina lē mafai ona toe femalaga’i itutino o le Malo e pei ona masani ai, a o fesootaiga tau tekonolosi o loo faaauau ai pea ona tuuina atu le sao o Samoa, i soalaupulega ma faiga faaiuga i mataupu tetele o feagai ma Malo o le lalolagi, aemaise le atinae o le atunuu.

O le mea lea, e le faaitiitia le loto faafetai i le tapuaiga a si o tatou atunuu a o alofaiva le Malo i galuega o lenei tausaga. E afua mai i tumutumu o afioaga ma alalafaga, o faiganuu eseese, o le tagata ma lana e atia’e. Faamalo le pale, faafetai tele le galulue. E tumau pea le galulue so’oso’otauau atu o le Malo ma afioaga ma alalafaga uma i galuega ma atinae o loo faatino nei, ma fuafua mo le lumanai.

Ou te faafetaia le sao o tatou paaga mai fafo. Ua autausagā lo tatou Malo Tutoatasi, ua loaloa foi tausaga o o tatou galulue vavalalata pea ma Malo ma Faalapotopotoga mai fafo, aua le atinae manuia o Samoa. Faafetai mo lo latou sao taua i si o tatou atunuu.

Ou te faafetai atu i le aufaigaluega a le Malo i ona itutino eseese, faapea Kamupani ma Faalapotopotoga Tumaoti uma i le atunuu. Faafetai tele le galulue ma le faitaulaga mo Samoa. O outou ua aoaoina i poto ma tomai eseese, o taleni ma meaalofa aua si o tatou atunuu.

Ae faapito augafa se faafetai i le aufaigaluega o loo muāau, aua le puipuiga o le atunuu mai le Koviti 19. Matou te iloa le mamafa ma le faigata o la outou galuega, e pei ona ta’imua e le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina ma le Komiti o Faalavelave Faafuasei. Peitai o loo maitauina lo outou faamalolosi ma le mataalia i lo outou faiva, e le gata i le puipuiga i o tatou tuaoi faavaomalo, o tagata malaga mai, o le faatinoina o tuiga mo le Koviti, ae le o tuua la outou tautua mo le atunuu e asiasi atu ona o gasegase. Faafetai tele le tautua atunuu, faamalo alofa i a Samoa. Ia faamanuia le Atua i lo outou soifua auauna.

Le paia o Taitai o Ekalesia, ma le aufaigaluega totofi a le Atua i Samoa nei ma atunuu e mamao, e le mavae le agaga faafetai i lo outou faiva o le tatalo mo si o tatou atunuu. E ui ina souā la tatou savaliga, ou te taofi o lo outou tulivae i luma o le Atua, o loo to’afilemu ai le atunuu. Aua e leai se poto, e leai lava se malosi na te mafaia ona puipui Samoa mai ni to’atugā ogaoga, ua na o le Atua lava. 

O le ala lea o le faaauau pea o le faatauaina e le Malo o le vaiaso o tatalo ma anapogi i le atunuu atoa, tatou aufaatasi ai e momoli talosaga ma anapopogi i luma o le Atua, ina ia puipui mai ma apelepelea pea le atunuu i ona aao alofa. Ua atofaina ai le Aso Sa, 2 o Ianuari e faamauina ai le vaiaso o tatalo ma anapogi i le atunuu, seia oo atu i le Aso Faraile, 7 o Ianuari 2022. 

O le Tausaga Fou lenei, ua atoa i ai le 60 tausaga o lou Malo Tutoatasi. O se tausaga tatou te saga matimati ai lo tatou soifua atinae o le tamaoaiga, i le sololelei ma le amanaia o le sao o tagata uma o le atunuu.

Samoa e, ia ta’ita’i pea e le Atua lo outou soifua laulelei ma so matou ola i le Tausaga Fou – 2022, i lona manuia ma lona filemu. Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou. 

Soifua.