Development Plans
pp. 37-38 · Read in the full issue
West Samoan
Are On The Move
From R. F. Rankin, in Apia The tendency towards secrecy i government has been con :antly attacked by the Press in
/estem Samoa since indepen
ence. i FAVOURITE target has been i. the Economic Development scretariat, where Minister of inance and Economic Development . F. D. Betham went so far as to >rbid his Development Secretariat sad, UN appointee A. Gerakas, and s staff, to even talk to the Press i any matter of development. Mr. etham himself was almost as in rcessible.
At the end of June the constant eas from the Press for better iblic relations finally bore fruit, tie Economic Development Board, hich has an advisory function on rerall development, issued a new >licy on relationship with the Press.
The Board, in which Mr. Betham chairman over the Ministers of griculture (Laufili Time), Lands "oomata), Education (Papalii >umau), Public Works (F. C. F. elson) and ex offico member, UN gional head Harry Spence, decided at the Secretariat should issue regu r Press releases and that the inister and Secretariat head should i available for Press interviews con rning them.
On the same day, the Secretariat lued a Press release reviewing ogress in 1965 projects. Because lack of information many of the iblic thought that these had come a standstill. Far from it. Accord g to the Press release: • All the 1965 projects which ceived appropriations from Parlia ent are now being implemented. • Recruitment of a project man :er, soils specialist and forester for e Asau Land Settlement Scheme is ider way. This project is being tndled by the Department of griculture and Department of mds, and the first parcels of land e expected to be leased early next ar. • The law draftsman is drafting gislation to establish a Handicrafts dustry Development Corporation. • The Department of Agriculture is indicated that planting materials
for the coconut and cocoa planting projects should be available by the middle of next ye^r. • The Agricultural Incentives Steering Committee (Mano Togamau, MP, chairman, Magele Ate, MP, Director of Lands & Survey, F. J.
Kearns, and the Head of the De velopment Secretariat, A. Gerakas), has recommended the concentration of all efforts and the application of all contest funds to contests of clear ing plantations and bunchy top.
Planting contests will start when the planting material becomes available. • The New Zealand Trade and Development Office is expected to be functioning this year.
• The proposed director of the food processing industry develop ment laboratory is due in Apia in July or August to advise the Depart ment of Agriculture on the location and construction of the processing laboratory. • The Visitor Destination Area Study will be finished this year. In this connection Intercontinental Hotels Corporation has sent one of its top hotel operations experts to analyse hotel potenial in Western Samoa. He arrived in Apia in July and is carrying out the survey at no cost or obligation to Western Samoa. • Western Samoa will be a mem
ber of the Pacific Area Travel / sociation “in the very near futun In another move forward, t long-awaited Development Branch the Bank of Western Samoa reco: mended by Stace and Lauterbai four years ago, appears to be fina. approaching reality, although extremely limited finance.
The former agreement establis ing the Development Branch w signed by Head of State MalietJ and the manager of the Bank Western Samoa, Mr, R. J. Sylvesh at the end of June.
The agreement provides for tl creation of a Development Lot Committee to deal with applicatic for development loans. The coi mittee comprises the Bank manag as chairman over Hon. Ami Tausilia (Speaker of the House Financial Secretary P. Hell) Director of Agriculture T. M.
Cunliffe, and United Nations advis to the Minister of Econom Development A. Gerakas.
Initial funds appropriated by tJ Legislative Assembly for the Develc ment Branch amount to £lO,OOO,