NEWSROOM: 04 November - 10 November 2007

Digicel TXT GETZ; expect more, get more
10 November 2007 - Source: Digicel Samoa Ltd. Press Release

Digicel Samoa held a Press Conference with all Samoan Media on Thursday 08th November 2007, to give a brief of their Text Getz Promotion, which is to simply text the word ‘GETZ’ to short code gigi (3444), and be in to win a Hyundai Getz.

On the 26 November, all the entries will be pooled together. A computer Random Number Generator will draw 100 chances in the presence of renowned auditors Lesa Ma Penn and representatives from the Police department.

Conditions of this draw:

* Digicel will call the number, if the number is not answered, switched off or busy, the chance will be forfeited.

* The owner of the number will be verified and will be required to sign an indemnity.

* The owner will be required to make themself available to attend the grand finale event on 28 November.

* The chance is non transferable.

On the 28th November, an open concert is planned to draw the lucky GETZ winner from the pool of 100.

The remaining chances will get a second chance to lay their hands on a 2nd Getz.

The 14 contestants will be drawn from the remaining chances. Hyundai Samoa (associate sponsor of this event) will provide 1 contestant from a separate competition run by Hyundai Samoa.

These 15 will contest the second Getz in the Last Man Standing Contest.

Rules of the Last Man Standing Contest:

* Contestant must have one hand on the Getz throughout the competition until he/she is the Last Man Standing.

* Contestant will not be allowed to change/remove their hand from the other than during the nominated breaks.

* Contestants are not allowed to lean against the car at any point of time.

* A 10 minute toilet break will be allowed every 4 hours.

* Food and drinks will be provided and can be consumed with one hand on the Getz.

* Contestants are only allowed to consume food and drinks provided by Digicel Samoa Limited.

* Smoking is prohibited during the contest.

* There shall no communication between Contestants; no coercion, manipulation or any effort to encourage or discourage any other contestant from continuing in the contest.

* Cameras will be positioned on the vehicle and contestants throughout the contest. The footage will be recorded and will be used to prove disqualification.

* A team of judges will be present at all times to ensure the rules have been followed strictly.

In the event of an emergency that would mostly likely place the lives of the contestants in jeopardy, Digicel shall be within its rights to call the contest to a halt. Digicel shall notify the contestants of the new date that the competition will resume and contestants who fail to attend on the given date shall forfeit their chance.

* Only the contestants that remain up to the point of stoppage will be eligible to resume.

* Contestants are discouraged to proceed in the competition in the event of extreme personal discomfort and Digicel reserves the right to remove the contestant from the competition based on medical advice.

Failure to adhere to the rules will result in disqualification. The competition will continue until only one person remains standing with one hand on the Getz.

Finalist Eligibility Criteria:

* Competitor must be a legal resident of Samoa.

* Competitor must be above 18 years of age. Contestants over the age of 50 must provide a medical clearance from their doctor.

* Persons in any of the following categories are NOT eligible to participate or win prizes.

1. Any person who at anytime on or after October 15th was or is a director, officer, employee or agent of Digicel Samoa Limited or Hyundai Automotive Samoa or any of their respective parents, service agencies or independent contactors.

2. Individuals engaged in the development, production or distribution of materials for the Promotion (collectively the Promotion Entities).

3. Persons who are or purport to be immediate family members (defined as biological parent, step-mother, step-father, sister, brother, daughter, son or independent or spouse of any of the foregoing) of any person in any of the preceding categories, regardless of where they live, or who reside in the same household (i.e. who have lived in the same household or at least three (3) of the twelve (12) months preceding the start of the Promotion Period, whether related or not) as any person in any of the preceding categories.

Reviewing Waste Management in the Pacific
09 November 2007 - Source: SPREP Press Release

100,000 marine animals die from eating plastic debris each year and in most countries over half the waste in landfills is biodegradable and easily composted at home.

This issue of Waste Management in the Pacific was raised during the 18th SPREP Meeting in Apia this year with Pacific Islands Countries and Territories voicing Waste Management as a country priority. Now, just over one month since that meeting the progress of the Regional Solid Waste strategy in Pacific countries is being reviewed.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is hosting the second Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – SPREP Solid Waste Management Workshop for Pacific Islands Forum Countries. The Regional Solid Waste Strategy and Action Plan was adopted by SPREP member countries in 2005. This week, Senior Waste Managers from throughout the Pacific will be talking about how they have made progress in their country, along with looking at how SPREP’s future work program for Waste Management can be structured to provide them with effective assistance.

“Waste volumes are rising with our economic growth. More importantly, the waste is also increasing in its toxicity and non-biodegradability as we leave traditional lives and materials behind,” said SPREP Director Asterio Takesy when he addressed the workshop participants.

“Unfortunately as you all know too well, waste is not a problem that we can fix. We must manage it and its negative impacts every day, for now and forever. That unrelenting nature of waste often seems insurmountable, but surmount it we must, or else we will get buried by it.”

The 3-day workshop is expected to review the progress and identify barriers and challenges in implementing the Regional Waste Strategy. It will also review the Regional Action Plan and SPREP’s future work plans as well as build capacity to manage a holistic waste management system. The workshop is designed specifically for senior managers and officials who deal with national and operational policy issues such as legislation, communication, financing waste operations and opportunities for donor-funding waste initiatives.

“Project funding is very good for establishing new systems or significant infrastructure but it doesn’t pay for day-to-day operations. Too often we have seen valuable initiatives established with project funding only to watch them slide into disuse because the on-going or sustainable funding has not been forthcoming.”

This last day for this workshop is on the 7th of November. Following it are 2 chemical related workshops running parallel to each other. The first is a health-care waste Management Training workshop, while the second is a Pacific regional awareness-raising workshop on the Strategic Approaches to International Chemical Management.

Government hosts SPC 60th anniversary meeting
08 November 2007 - Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

The government of Samoa will host two historic meetings of the governing body of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) at the National University of Samoa (NUS) between Wednesday 7th November and Tuesday 13th November.

The first meeting, the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) comprises senior officials and executive heads of ministries / departments of Foreign Affairs from the 26 member countries and territories of SPC and will run from Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th November.

The second meeting is a ministerial level meeting of the organisation’s governing body, the Conference of the Pacific Community. This will be a two-day meeting on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th November 2007.

SPC is sixty years old this year. This makes both the meetings being hosted by the Government of Samoa this year the 60th Anniversary meetings of SPC’s governing body.

Samoa is a fitting host for this year’s meetings of the SPC governing body because of its historical association with the organisation. Samoa was the first Pacific Island country that gained full membership to SPC in 1965.
The first-ever and second Pacific Island Secretary Generals of the organisation, Afioga Afoafouvale Misimoa and Hon. Gustav Betham both hail from Samoa.

This year’s meeting of CRGA and Conference is like a home coming for the organisation to the country that led the way for the entry of Pacific Island members to SPC as well as providing the first two of many Pacific Island Secretary Generals and Director Generals over the years.

A main feature of SPC’s work over the past sixty years had been working with and making a difference to the lives of people in Pacific island countries and territories, particularly at the rural and community levels.

SPC’s work cover a wide range of areas including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, culture, health, youth, women and gender, statistics, population, maritime sector, media training and development and information technology. SPC works with a range of stakeholders at national level ranging from farmers at the community level to the political level.

Capacity building, empowering of communities and people have underpinned the planning and provision of SPC’s services over the years; a feature that will remain for a long time to come.

The officials’ meeting this week will review SPC’s work programme during 2007 and will help plot the chart for the future work programme. In addition they will consider many policy and strategic issues, including; the development of longer-term joint country strategies that will define the work that SPC will do and the assistance it will provide to members over a number of years. Implementation of a new Pan-Pacific low-cost ‘Rural Internet Connectivity System’ (RICS) designed to create access to internet from any rural community anywhere in the Pacific will also be discussed. This is an exciting initiative that SPC and Forum Secretariat had facilitated this year together with the new sub-marine cable initiative and the one laptop per child initiative. These initiatives have the potential to open new opportunities and help unlock new development potential in the region.

The theme for this year’s SPC Conference is ‘the future of Pacific Fisheries: Planning and managing for economic growth, food security and sustainable livelihoods. Coming at a time when the region’s last remaining renewable resources is coming under increasing pressure from both national and international over-exploitation, and recently high-lighted as a major area of priority by Pacific Island Forum leaders, the Fisheries sector has come under the region’s political microscope and FFA and SPC are pooling their resources to help address the challenges facing the fisheries sector in the region.

The minister’s conference will also discuss two other important challenges facing the region today, these being Urbanisation and Climate Change, both of which must be addressed with urgency.

This year’s conference will also discuss the Regional Institutional Framework that was recently approved by Pacific Island Forum Leaders.

The conference will culminate in the launching of a publication about the SPC and its sixty-years of service to the region.

UN International Civil Aviation Organisation report approved
07 November 2007 - Source: Government Press Secretariat

Cabinet has approved the Report on the 36th Session of the Assembly of the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation, which took place in Montreal, Canada, from the 18 – 31 October, 2007.

Matters of importance that were discussed at this Meeting include: global approach to safety and security guided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, as well civil aviation issues affecting the member countries.

Samoa’s presentation received wide support, given its focus on the implementation of Annex 17 mandated by the Standards and Recommended Practices, which does not differentiate between the levels of threat associated with Small Island States of the Pacific and which continues to hamper fragile economies such as Samoa.

The Hon. Minister of Works, Afioga Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau, led Samoa’s delegation, which included the Hon. Associate Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Aiono Tile Gafa, CEO, Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Vaaelua Nofo Vaaelua, CEO, Airport Authority, Pouniu George Hazelman, and the Assistant CEO, Civil Aviation Division, Ministry of Works, Magele Hoe Viali.

Organisations voice opposition to Samoa’s right hand drive plan
06 November 2007 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

A delegation of Samoan NGOs has met the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele, to raise their objections to the proposed switch to right hand drive cars.

The delegation said that contrary to government’s claims, right hand drive cars will not be cheaper than left hand drives.

A spokesperson for the delegation and former President of the Chamber of Commerce, Sala Epa Tuioti, said the Prime Minister stated that their submission would be considered by Cabinet.

Daryl Clarke, an Executive Member of the Chamber of Commerce, said the announcement of government’s policy has already caused substantial hardship and uncertainty to Samoa’s community, particularly its business people.

He said there was no consultation before the policy was announced and Government has not released any clear supporting evidence of the benefits of a change to right hand drive.

Samoa Polytechnic, NUS IT Graduate Gathering
05 November 2007 - Source: National University of Samoa Press Release

The Institute of Technology at the National University of Samoa held a graduate gathering on Saturday. Everyone who graduated from Samoa Polytechnic or the National University of Samoa Institute of Technology between 2002 and 2006 was invited to attend.

Sponsors SamoaTel and Digicel provided $800 of prizes to graduates who came and filled-in a one page questionnaire. The questions simply asked whether graduates are employed and using the skills they gained through their studies.

The gathering was held at the fale Samoa in the National University of Samoa Institute of Higher Education from 10am to 12pm Saturday, 3 November, with food and transport assistance provided.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Technology, Dr. Emma Kruse Vaai says the gathering is part of a Tracer Study designed to measure the success of training programmes. “This is an opportunity to find out where our graduates are and how they are using their skills.”

She was happy because graduates were all present and it was also a chance to see all their old classmates again.

Project leader Dr. David Alexander said the gathering was open to all graduates. “Whether they're working now or not, it’s a chance for them to give some feedback.”

The study is being conducted in conjunction with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Technical Cooperation Project for Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Development in Samoa.

Delegation to attend Pacific ACP meetings in Brussels
04 November 2007 - Source: Government Press Secretariat

Cabinet has approved the travel of Samoa’s delegation to attend a series of Pacific ACP Meetings scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium, from the 29 October – 15 November, 2007.

The Meetings will address trade matters in relation to Economic Partnership Agreements of Pacific ACP countries. As well, the Meetings will discuss a pathway that the Pacific ACP should take for the completion of trade negotiations and the signing of EPAs.

Samoa’s Hon. Associate Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industry, Susuga Joe Keil, will lead Samoa’s delegation which includes the Assistant CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Auelua Samuelu Enari, and Senior Trade Officer, Nella Tavita Levy.

Background:
The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. It is composed of African, Caribbean and Pacific States signatories to the Georgetown Agreement or the Partnership Agreement between the ACP and the European Union, officially called the "ACP-EC Partnership Agreement" or the "Cotonou Agreement".

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