NEWSROOM: 03 February - 09 February 2008

San Diego match with Samoa on Savou's mind
09 February 2008 - Source: Fiji Times Online

Knowing the odds are stacked against them, Fiji sevens coach Josateki Savou remains confident his players will lift their game and make amends to overcome Samoa this weekend in San Diego.

Samoa beat Fiji 19-17 in the quarter-final in Wellington last Saturday, and some quarters have expressed doubts on whether the Etonia Naba-captained side will be able to turn the tables in their pool clash.

The other two teams in the pool are Australia and West Indies.

"We have been going through the match from last week and the team has been studying what they did wrong and which were the areas of weaknesses in the Samoa side," Savou said.

"We now have a fair idea as to what and how we can counter them.

"In saying that the Samoans will be tough as they showed last week and our players will have to play their guards up."

Australia showed lot of promise as well and only lost in the semi-final against eventual winners New Zealand.

Australia with the inclusion of Queensland Reds Super 14 wing Henari Veratau is rated as the dark horse of the pool.

"We can't underestimate them as well as they have improved and made the semi-final in Wellington," Savou said.

He said the players were being drilled about matters such as indiscipline and mistakes committed which can psychologically affect the team performance.

"There is no room for any mistakes if we want to go further than last week," Savou said.

"There were silly mistakes committed and we paid dearly for that and at training we have been working on rectifying that.

"All teams will be ready to capitalise on our mistakes and one mistake can turn the game around."

He said all pool games would be a do or die affair for them and no slip ups could be afforded.

"All teams have improved in the series and each match will be treated as a final," he said.

Fiji could meet New Zealand, Wales, Scotland or France in the quarter-finals. Fiji meets Australia at 8.12am on Sunday. Faces West Indies at 11.18am and then take on Samoa at 2.46pm.

ADB and Japan fund Samoa planning program
08 February 2008 - Source: Pacific Magazine

ADB in partnership with the Government of Japan will support Samoa to help improve its capacity in development planning and macroeconomic and policy analysis.

“The technical assistance (TA) grant aims to improve capacity in planning and managing development through a consultative process,” says Maria Melei, Senior Project Implementation Specialist from ADB’s South Pacific Subregional Office in the Fiji Islands.

As well as helping the government maintain capacity to generate economic statistics, the grant will support a participatory approach for measuring results under the Strategy for the Development of Samoa (SDS).

The TA will also enhance the capacity of economic planning staff in the Samoan Government, providing mentoring and skills transfer through on-the-job training and training of trainers. An options paper would be prepared on how to retain staff, including a proposal for a program for young professionals to be piloted by the Ministry of Finance. “This proposal is good news for the region’s increasing youth population and will be an effective way of engaging young people in economic development,” said ADB’s Maria Melei.

Samoa has made substantial progress under the reform program initiated by the Government in 1994. The program included economic, governance, public sector and financial sector reforms, which have improved the efficiency of the economy and increased its output level. The 3.1% economic growth forecast by the Asian Development Outlook Update Report was achieved in 2007.

The cost of the technical assistance is $US625,000 equivalent, with ADB providing $500,000 of that amount to be sourced from the Japan Special Fund. The Samoa Government will fund the balance of the local currency cost, equivalent to $125,000. The assistance is expected to be carried out over a period of 15 months starting in February 2008.

Photo #1: His Highness the Aga Khan receiving Mr Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank, in Gouvieux, France.

Photo #2: Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda and Prince Amyn Aga Khan, after the signing of an agreement to strengthen the partnership between the ADB and the Aga Khan Development Network.

Photo #3: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Apia.

Australia to help Pacific countries tackle climate change
07 February 2008 - Source: Australian High Commission in Samoa

Australia is working with Samoa and other Pacific Island countries to address the impacts of climate change.

The Australian Government is providing more than $2 million through AusAID to support community adaptation activities in Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Solomon Islands.

A total of $400,000 will be provided to Samoa over the next two years through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, and Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Duncan Kerr, have visited a village-based reef rehabilitation project site in Savaia Lefaga which is being funded through the initiative.

“The AusAID grant will contribute to the community-based adaptation program, focussing on projects that deal with reducing the climate change impact on ecosystems and livelihoods.

“We are supporting nationally-identified environmental priorities using an existing grants program and importantly, providing more support for local projects and activities,” Mr McMullan said.

Mr Kerr said the issue of climate change and adaptation was an Australian Government priority.

“It is also extremely important for Samoa given its vulnerability to rising sea levels, flooding, coastal erosion and ecosystem deterioration.

Australia is pleased to be working with UNDP in Samoa to assist local communities manage the impact of climate change,” Mr Kerr said.

Inaugural Samoa International Pro-Am Boxing event results
06 February 2008 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

On behalf of Event Polynesia Ltd. and associates SABA and SPBI, please accept this simple note from us, to extend our sincerest faafetai tele to all our event partners for your invaluable contributions, which enabled us to host this Inaugural Samoa International Pro-Am Boxing event.

Special thanks to the Totalisator Agency Board, without whose support the event might not have been possible, especially the amateur sector.

YOU HAVE PROVEN TO SAMOA AND ALL DOUBTERS THAT VEGAS CAN INDEED COME TO SAMOA.

Your support has encouraged us to continue the dream and bring world class fights to Samoa.

It has been a most humbling experience for us, not only to receive your support in this mountainous endeavour, but especially because it is only due to your confidence and unconditional trust that we are able to organise and host world class events of this nature in our beloved Samoa

We assure you that any inroads made and achievements attained for Samoa through the pathway we have now put in place for boxing, are for your benefit in the future.

To our few corporate friends who believed that Vegas can happen in Samoa, we thank you! We sincerely hope you were not disappointed. We assure you that you now own a most dynamic and international platform for future developments.

We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable publicity support from the Samoa Observer over the next couple of days, but for now…

FAAMALO I LOU TITI FAI TAMA, FAAMALO MO LAU FAATAMALII, FAAMALO MO LAU TAUTUA ATUNUU
NOW THAT THE DOORS ARE OPEN, WE WELCOME YOU ALL AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE!

May God return your efforts to you a hundredfold.


Ma le Agaga Faafetai Tele,

Event Polynesia Management and Staff.


Faleata Gym 1, APIA Saturday 1st February 2008
OFFICIAL RESULTS:

New state-of-the-art Police Headquarters opened
05 February 2008 - Source: ABC Radio Australia

Law and order in Samoa will be significantly boosted with the opening of a new state-of-the-art Samoan Police Headquarters in Apia.

The new headquarters was opened by the Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, along with visiting Australian Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan and Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Duncan Kerr.

The centre is part of the five-year 15.6-million Australian dollar Samoa Police Project designed to create a safe, secure and stable environment in Samoa.

Construction costs were funded by AusAID, the Australian Government's overseas aid agency.

Built by Samoan craftsmen, the headquarters will house the majority of Samoa's 500-strong police force.

It also has a forensic laboratory and will allow the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Departments to be co-located.

Prime Minister’s office confident about seasonal scheme
04 February 2008 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

The Chief Executive in the Prime Minister’s office in Samoa Auseugaefa Poloma Komiti is confident the three Samoan seasonal workers sent home a few weeks ago for misbehaving won’t reflect on others in New Zealand.

Hundreds of Pacific workers are currently employed at various orchards around the country under contract with the New Zealand government’s Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme (RSE), which was launched last year.

Auseugaefa says while they have zero tolerance for this behaviour, it won’t jeopardise the scheme.

“There are three who have been found out this time, and we have over a hundred there that have good stories, and we don’t want to jeopardise opportunities for others.”

Pacific Oil Company to produce coconut oil fuel in Samoa
03 February 2008 - Source: Government Press Secretariat

Cabinet has approved the proposal by Pacific Oil Company to operate production of coconut oil fuel as a substitute for diesel fuel in Samoa.

Pacific Oil is a subsidiary company of Petroleum Products Supplies utilising the latest form of technology to produce coconut oil to fuel vehicles and machinery.

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