to Samoa budget

‘Restraint’ is key to Samoa budget

‘Selfish economic policies of the major industrialised coutries’ were blamed by Western Samoa’s Finance Minister Vaovasa Filipo for many of the country’s economic woes when he made his 1982 budget speech to the Legislative As sembly in Apia late last November.

He said these ‘sefish’ policies were reflected in high interest rates, protectionism, and the high cost of imported goods.

The strengthening of the American dollar also posed problems, he said. Taken together, these factors dictated a policy of restraint for Western Samoa in the coming financial year.

On the local scene, export prices had continued to fall considerably, resulting in greatly reduced earnings. The Public Service Association strike had contributed to the worsening economic situation through foreign exchange losses due to the loss of anticipated tourist earnings, and remittance and telecommunications rev enues.

Total statutory, current and development expenditure for 1982 would be SWS7O.9 million, compared with total planned expenditure for 1981 of $68.9 million.

On the foreign trade front, Vaovasa said total export re ceipts for the first nine months of 1981 were $7.7 million, against imports in that period of $44.9 million. Exports of copra, cocoa, bananas and timber were all down compared with the same period in 1980. Only taro showed improvement, with 120 600 cases worth $ 1 545 000 being exported compared with 58 400 cases worth $674 000 for the same period in 1980.

Vaovasa said: ‘As I said in my statement on the 1981 Sup plementary Estimates, we are simply not producing and ex porting enough.

“We are living in a time of significant international econ omic uncertainty, and the only way we can strengthen our economy is to produce and export more.’

On inflation, Vaovasa said that along with many Third World countries. Western Samoa was experiencing a period of high inflation. The increase in the cost of living in 1979 was 24 percent. This jumped to 29 percent in 1980.

The incease for the first nine months of 1981 had been 21 percent, but this could increase for the remainder of the year.

Assessing the government’s achievements, Vaovasa said health and education services were steadily improving, the roads system was continually being upgraded, and the inter national telecommunications system now gave Samoa im mediate links throughout the world. ‘We own our own container vessel and our shipping links have been greatly improved in past years. ‘lnter-island and inter-Samoa shipping services are carried out with our own vessels.

“Polynesian Airlines Ltd has been greatly upgraded, and flies to many points in the region. ‘Substantial funds have been used for developing Western Samoa Trust Estates Corpor ation (WESTEC) and our for estry industry, and results of this expenditure will be of great benefit in the years ahead. ‘We have embarked on a hydro-power programme, and the first two hydro-power plants will be commissioned in the next few months. These will mean large savings in foreign exchange which is at present being spent on diesel,’ Vaovasa said.

Vavau ‘Refuge’:

Happy ending

The Paradise International Ho tel in Vavau, Tonga, has a short and troubled history.

Construction started in 1972, and she was opened in 1974 as the Port of Refuge Hotel.

In 1977 the hotel went bank rupt and remained in receiver ship for four years. There were many lawsuits before the hotel was auctioned off in August,

1980, and still more before her new owner. Carter Johnson, could take possession of the hotel in June, 1981.

Johnson is an American with business interests in Australia and the USA. He has moved his wife Jan and three daughters Jody, Ann-Marie and Shirlene to Vavau, and is making a fulltime project of improving the hotel. Already major im provements can be seen in the grounds, plumbing, kitchen, dining room, bar, service and general attitudes of the staff.

Carter is planning a pier on the waterfront with water, showers and facilities accessible to visiting yachts as well as guests. Capacity will be ex panded from 29 to 42 rooms, and all furnishings will be replaced and improved.

Under the able management of Oscar Kami, the Paradise International is a beehive of feasts, dances, receptions and tours using the hotel’s launch, two buses, and 12-passenger aircraft. ‘Vavau will have a hotel to be proud of,’ says Mr Johnson.

Patty Kaliher in Neiafu, Vavau.

Tuvalu stamp

sales soar

The Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau was looking forward to a record year in 1981 for the sale of Tuvalu postage stamps.

An official announcement last October said the sales were anticipated to be worth more than $1.5 million, compared with just over $605 000 in the previous year.

Renison to

boost gold

Renison Goldfields Consoli dated Ltd intends doubling gold production at its recent acqui sition, New Guinea Goldfields Ltd.

In the last financial year.

New Guinea Goldfields pro duced 6765 ounces of gold.

Renison aims to boost gold production to more than 15 000 ounces a year which, at an average gold price of $4OO an ounce, gives an annual revenue of about $6 million. ‘ln addition to immediately doubling the capacity of the

existing operation, a substantial exploration programme will be mounted,’ directors said in the annual report of the merged group which was released late last November.

Suva’s Garrick

to reopen

Ten years after its closure, the Garrick Hotel, one of Suva’s oldest, situated in the heart of the Fiji capital, was expected to be open for business again in December 1981.

The traditional colonnaded old colonial-style building has been bought by D. Gokal & Co, duty-free dealers. The plan is for the Garrick to have 44 bedrooms, a loungebar, as well as a re-created English tavern like public bar. Vinod Gokal said the first four double rooms were expected to be ready by December, and the whole con cept should be completed towards the end of 1983.

Saga of a fuel

depot

Australian aid to the tune of $6OO 000 built a fuel depot in Vavau. Tonga, which was officially opened by King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in February, 1981.

But it was several months before it was decided that Shell Oil should have the franchise.

And it look several more months before Shell could char ter a Burns Philp tanker which is capable of entering Vavau’s harbour.

It was mid-September 1981 before all of Vavau rejoiced to see the tanker arrive and fill the fuel depot’s seven large tanks with kerosene, petrol and distil late.

But three weeks later there was still no fuel for sale in downtown Neiafu. The Tongan Government and Shell oil had not decided upon a price. So once again the people of Vavau wailed.

All that waiting may have been worthwhile: the Privy Council and Shell finally nego tiated a cut in fuel prices.

Fuels are now selling for as much as 30c less per gallon than in the past because the new fuel depot has reduced transport costs. Patty Kaliher in Neiafu, Vavau.