The Government has acknowledged the 12-month celebration of Samoa's 60th Independence anniversary, with a music concert held in front of the Parliament on Wednesday evening officially marking its end. 

Speaking to the Samoa Observer early this week, Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Tevaga Ponifasio recalled the timeline of events over the past 12 months and concluded that the Government achieved its goal of spreading the independence spirit throughout the communities. 

"If any indication, we have been very busy being invited to all the different celebrations in villages and throughout the country, the Government has been very busy attending all these commemorations," he said. "I think it has been very successful in a unique sense, unique to the 60th. 

"I know we did the 50 years 10 years ago and it was nothing like this so this is quite outstanding, the willingness of people to actually commemorate the independence. Sixty years is nothing small, it's a major achievement for Samoa and that's what this concert is about.

"It is about reflecting a lot on the struggles, and the difficulties that we came through. It's important to look back and at the same time, it's important to look ahead. It depends on what we set out to achieve but that needs to be made clear."

Emphasising that it was the Government's decision to make the 60th Independence anniversary celebration that long, Tuala said it was a major event that cannot be ignored hence the rationale to make it 12 months long. 

"You celebrate a birthday today and tomorrow it's forgotten but the Prime Minister and the independence committee initiated and decided to commemorate it throughout the year," he added. "So they were able to set budgets at certain events so what had turned out to be was, there was just a lot that has happened so I think we have achieved."

Some of the major achievements throughout the 12-month journey included the launching of the SAT$60 bank note, the allocation of $60,000 to each church to mark the arrival of their founding missionaries, their first harvests, and much more. 

"Even last year when we hit 60, the word went out and there were people celebrating, instead of it being at Mulinu'u but due to COVID-19 everyone celebrated in their own villages," he added. "Everyone was happy and the celebration spirit kind of went out across the community and it's what the Government was trying to do.

"It's the Government not trying to do everything because they do everything badly, to be honest. They need to encompass the community and spread the economic benefits and the events out in the community and that's what the Government was trying to do. It's not the Government holding control of everything, I think everyone should benefit and that's how a country develops."