The Cabinet during its meeting last week re-appointed Faumui Iese Toimoana to lead Samoa’s Electric Power Corporation for the next three years, the Samoa Observer can reveal. 

This newspaper understands that two candidates expressed interests when the position was advertised, including Faumui and an external application from an Engineer Consultant. 

The General Manager position was advertised in August of this year and applicants had until September 29 to submit their applications. 

Faumui was first appointed to lead the Corporation in October of 2020 after the former E.P.C. boss, Tologata Lupematasila Tile resigned from the post to run for office in the 2021 General Election. 

Lupematasila is now the Member of Parliament for Falelatai and Samatau. 

A respected member of the  Institute of Professional Engineers of Samoa (I.P.E.S.), this is Faumui's second three-year-term as the General Manager for E.P.C. 

Attempts to get comments from Faumui on his re-appointment has been unsuccessful. 

An electrical engineer by profession, Faumui hails from the villages of Faleasiu, Fagaloa and Vaiala.

He started working at E.P.C. since 1994 when he was a graduate engineer. 

From there he worked his way up as the Electrical Engineer for E.P.C. who was responsible for commissioning the diesel generator at Tanugamanono power station at the time. 

In 2000 he continued to move up the ladder in the corporation assigned as the Project Engineer. 

Some of the major works he did as the Project Engineer is installation of the sub-marine cable power supply for the island of Manono, modification and design for Taelefaga hydropower plant amongst other work. 

He was also tasked to install and commission a central solar system for the island of Apolima powered by 100 percent renewable energy source. 

Faumui was later appointed as the E.P.C. Generation Engineer in 2008 before he left to become a Renewable Energy Adviser for Pacific Power Association (P.P.A.) from 2009 to 2012. 

After his work in the P.P.A. that provided technical support and consulting services for African, Caribbean and Pacific (A.C.P.) countries in Fiji, Faumui returned to Samoa. 

He went back to E.P.C. where he was appointed as the Manager of Distribution and Utilisation Department and was instrumental in establishing the new unit E.P.C. unit the Quality Assurance division. 

It wasn’t until 2015 when he secured another top role in S.W.A. as the Urban Division Manager.

He was also a major contributor to the Performance Benchmarking of Pacific Power Utilities Report that covered 20 utility providers across the Pacific.

At the time, the Pacific Power Association reported that, “PPA provided the services of its Renewable Energy Adviser, Faumui Iese Toimoana during a critical period of this research…”

The study looked at areas such as grid-connected renewable systems, utility energy efficiencies, and electricity supply to grids from independent suppliers.