It has been a tough 12 months living under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic followed by a constitutional crisis, which appeared to have no end in sight until the Courts intervened.

Coupled with the rising cost of living and the economic uncertainty triggered by the shutting of Samoa’s international borders, there are many people looking forward to the new year and with it hopes for a fresh start.

They will welcome the recent announcement by the Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, that the fireworks show on New Year’s eve will usher in 2022 with the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) leading the preparations.

And so should they after a tumultuous year of events that affected both the private and the public sectors and divided families and communities, following the election defeat of Samoa’s oldest political party and the rise of its newest.

While those political divisions remain to this day, there are positives to celebrate as a nation heralded by the previous and the current Samoa Government’s non-compromising COVID-19 strategy, which has seen the country keep the virus at bay to officially record only two imported coronavirus cases in the last 18 months.

There has also been a massive effort on the part of both the previous and the current Samoa Government to secure the livelihoods of laid-off tourism sector workers. Various organisations, including donor partners in collaboration with tertiary educational institutions, have been offering training opportunities to unemployed resort or hotel workers, giving them a lifeline to earn incomes again for their families.

Not forgetting the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour (M.C.I.L.) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (M.F.A.T.), which through its work with the New Zealand and Australian Governments, has enabled citizens to work as seasonal workers under New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (R.S.E.) scheme and Australia’s Seasonal Worker Programme (S.W.P.) and the Pacific Labour Scheme (P.L.S.).

The more the better – in terms of the number of Samoan seasonal workers being sent abroad – which indirectly translates to a jump in monthly remittances being sent to families in Samoa.

So it is not surprising that the Central Bank of Samoa has forecast better days ahead with projections in a recently released Monetary Policy Statement for the Financial Year 2021/2022 pointing to the pandemic-triggered recession moving to recovery in the new year. 

So as few as they are, there is indeed a reason to celebrate and a fireworks show on New Year’s eve, will be a nice way to close out a rollercoaster year and welcome a new one. 

Lest we forget other cities around the world aren’t blessed with Apia’s record of having just two coronavirus cases in the past 18 months. Consequently, megacities London, Paris, Brussels, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and even Auckland in New Zealand have canceled their fireworks show on new year’s eve due to rising COVID-19 infections.

Every year we’ve had the distinction of being the first nation in the world to enter a new year, together with Christmas Island in Kiribati, and it has been a tourism selling point for Samoa for many years. And that potential of being the first remains an attraction to the intrepid traveler until the country’s full COVID-19 vaccination coverage hits 90 per cent to give confidence to the authorities to reopen our borders.

For now let’s celebrate our small successes and use the fireworks show on new year’s eve to remind ourselves of the challenges that this nation has faced in 2021, learn from the experience and vow not to repeat them come 2022.

Full compliments to the new Administration for giving that opportunity to families to unite to witness the spectacle on the last evening of the year, while acknowledging that with the new year comes the opportunity to be in a better position, to take on and conquer the numerous challenges.