development ahead
pp. 31-32 · Read in the full issue
An explosive era of development ahead for West Samoa
From an Apia correspondent Seven years after attaining in dependence, Western Samoa still has a buoyant economy. And in his 1970 budget speech at the end of October, Minister of Finance, Mr. G. F. D. Betham, said the group, for the first time since 1964, would this year almost certainly have a national export income near SWSS million.
Never had the country’s balance of payments position been healthier nor a budgetary surplus in the public accounts been more assured.
He said: “Already the country’s exports at the end of September at $3,543,000 are within striking range of the 1968 total of $3,838,000.
Over this period, main income con tributors are copra, $1,420,000 from 11,680 tons; cocoa, $1,392,000 from 2,307 tons, and bananas, $425,000 from 153,488 cases. Other exports produced $307,000”.
The improvement in the economy had permitted a small extension to import allocations, the level of imports (according to Customs figures at the end of September) being $5,321,000. The resultant deficit in trade of $1,778,000 com pared with a total trade imbalance of $1,660,000 in 1968, when imports reached $5,498,000.
"Most favourable"
“Although this last quarter may produce a moderate increase in the trade gap, the position with the country’s overall balance of payments through the bank system is the soundest and most favourable for all time,” he continued.
The upward level of exports and the strength of “invisibles” was seen in the increasing receipts in overseas exchange transactions, reported to have reached $7,265,000 at the end of September.
During these nine months, tourism brought in an estimated $650,000.
Mr. Betham gave these happy words for the future: “After many trying and patient years of planning and consolidation out of which the
West Samoa the threshold”
assistance of outside capital resources is becoming increasingly available, Western Samoa now stands at the threshold of an explosive era of development, and the next decade should see a phenomenal acceleration in development and economic pro gress”.
A milestone in this direction, he said, would be the opening in June next year of a deep-sea wharf for ocean going vessels and a 4,000 by 300 ft airstrip for the island of Sava i i, with the completion of dredging of the Asau Channel through the reef by that date also.
Work on the airstrip, built with material taken from the sea-bed, was making such progress that an area 1,600 by 80-100 ft. would shortly be available for limited operations.
UNDP project
Western Samoa also stood to gain '‘immeasurable benefits” from an ap proved three year United Nations Development Programme special fund project to establish pilot agri cultural schemes on Savaii and Upolu and to investigate and initiate a programme for water development of the inland regions of the two islands. The project, SUSBBO,6OO to come from the fund and $U5378,000 from Samoa, also included an aerial survey.
He added that “appropriate legisla tion” would be introduced at the final session of parliament to cover the requirements of a first loan from the Asian Development Bank for the upgrading of the Faleolo Airport and Apia/Faleolo Road. A loan of $U52,400,000 ($WS1,680,000) was contemplated, as much as 5U51,400,000 of it in equipment which would become the property of the government on completion of the project.
First stage of the new maota fono (parliamentary building) would cost $150,000, including installation of air-conditioning, $120,000 of which would be met by the NZ Government.
Financing of the second part of the building, modelled on traditional Samoan architecture, would come later.
The 1970 estimates would not include any general increase in wages for public servants as this question had “yet to be determined”.