Apia, Samoa – Samoa Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Members Meeting for the year on Monday,
1 March 2021 at the Sheraton Aggie Grey’s Conference Room. The Chamber Members Meetings serve
as a forum for all Chamber members and members of the private sector, to be given an update on the
work conducted by the Chamber Executive Council and Secretariat including policy issues being
addressed to government officials and the sharing of any upcoming opportunities for the business
community.
The March Members Meeting chaired by Chamber President, Jennifer Ula-Fruean was attended by 78
Chamber members. During the meeting CEO Lemauga Hobart Va’ai provided members with a policy
update focusing on private sector issues raised in the last quarter which include the challenges around
the new Liquor Act. Lemauga also updated members that the Chamber is working closely with
Government stakeholders to strengthen communication channels with Land Transport Authority (LTA)
and the Electric Power Corporation (EPC) and improve shipping service between Upolu and Savaii with
the Samoa Shipping Corporation. Lemauga announced that the Chamber will be submitting its budget
submission, post election in April 2021 which references the recently completed Business Confidence
Survey 2020. All Chamber submissions to government are evidence-based according to input from the
private sector which the Chamber uses to seek support, “not only with our Government but also
partners with our Government such as IMF, ADB, World Bank also our regional donors, overseas
organization and international stakeholders,” confirms Lemauga. Given these unprecedented times, the
need for private sector support was expressed by several members, as businesses continue to adapt to
the impacts of COVID-19.
The Special Presentation for the March Meeting was provided by Ministry of Finance, ACEO Vaetoeifaga
Abigail Lee Hang, who shared the Government’s position towards strategizing the economic recovery for
Samoa, allowing an open dialogue between Chamber members and Ministry of Finance officials. The
presentation elaborated on the Government’s Stimulus Package that will be rolled out in 3 Phases over
the course of 3 financial years. Phase I which was announced in April 2020 included policies towards
enabling private sector, ensuring purchasing power of the citizens, and providing social sector support.
Vaetoeifaga explained that while other economies have opted for a one-time large stimulus payouts, the
Government has issued the three phase stimulus packages with the intention to create sufficient ripple
effects spanning many months to ensure that the economy continues to turn, if not grow. Moving
forward, Samoa’s key development partners the International Monetary Fund have endorsed Samoa’s
recovery strategies within the short term until the Pandemic is lifted. Some of the key broad areas of
this plan include having health preparedness and protection remain a priority, boost human capital and
employment creation, and ensure policies are in place to allow for import substitution and secure food
suppliers for the country.