perhaps no tipping, either)
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
W. Samoa to go duty-free (and perhaps no tipping, either)
Faced with low export income as a result of an un expectedly slow recovery in agriculture following last year’s hurricane, the Western Samoan Cabinet is wasting no time in seeking economic relief from other sources. Only six short weeks after the Heart of Polynesia Visitor Conference in Apia, Minister of Finance and Economic Development G, F. D.
Betham announced that Cabinet had acted on a number of measures aimed at attracting more visitors to Western Samoa.
fJX)WARDS the end of July, Cabinet -I- agreed to proposals for duty free shopping on selected tourist items, and extending from four to 14 days the period for which visitors would require no visas.
Both these measures were expected to get parliamentary approval in August.
Items covered in the duty-free pro posals include cameras, watches, radios, tape recorders, binoculars and jewellery. Neighbouring American Samoa announced similar measures recently.
Mr. Betham said that Western Samoa would join the co-sponsors of the conference, American Samoa and Tonga, in a co-operative over seas promotional campaign advertis ing the attractions of the whole area.
He said that a Visitor Conduct Ordinance was also under study in Western Samoa. This is aimed at regulating the visitor industry “in the best interests of both the visitors and indigenous personnel”. It includes
such measures as the prohibition of tipping, and the encouragement of authenticity in entertainment and handicrafts.
Exports down
Meanwhile, Western Samoa’s ex port figures for the first six months of this year are well below average.
Copra production of 3,763 tons is less than half normal, and banana exports of 40,631 cases is only one fifth of pre-hurricane days.
“The recovery of crops following last year’s hurricane has been slower than expected,” said Mr. Betham, who hopes that new plantings and improved techniques will bring about a marked improvement early next year.
The fall in earnings was com pensated to some extent by the rise in price for cocoa, which resulted in exports this year of 1,287 tons earn ing £333,964 compared with exports of 1,327 tons earning £234,950 in the same period last year.