“Reply to Albert Wendt”

Albert Wendt”

As a consistent reader of your magazine, I have always re garded it as something of a ’’Bible” on Pacific Islands affairs and events. I was therefore concerned and disappointed by the ’’Stand Alone” presentation of what on the cover of your June 1987 issue purported to be coverage of Western Samoa’s 25th Anniversary of Independence. Having read the article one could not help being left with the conclusion that as an independent nation ”25 years on” Western Samoa is a dismal failure politically, cul turally, and economically, rid dled with political favour, abuse, and corruption at all levels within the community.

The article conveys throughout an air of despondency and despair. As a foreigner with only the experience of eight years association with Western Samoa I consider myself totally unqualified to comment on Professor Wendt’s views about Western Samoa’s political and cultural aspirations and prog ress towards their achievement.

What struck me about the article was the generalisations made about the incidence of corruption, especially involving foreign investment. During the eight year period to which I refer, my company has been

instrumental in the deve lopment and implementation of a number of investment pro jects in Western Samoa invol ving the commitment by foreign investors of many millions of dollars in partnership with local investors, both private and gov ernment. The projects are on going, we believe have made significant contributions to Samoa’s economic deve lopment, and we feel certain will continue to do so in the future. I can say categorically that at no time during the development or implementa tion of any of these projects was any favour of any kind - politi cal or otherwise - given, offered or sought - not by the investors, not by the politicians involved and not by any government official participating in the pro ject evaluations. The de termination of the extent (if any) to which foreign invest ment should participate in Samoa’s development is a right which Western Samoa aquired at independence. Western Samoa’s ability, in the pursuit of this right, to attract the participation of foregin inves tors of integrity and standing would be significantly deni grated by the promotion of an (inaccurate and unfair) image of rife corruption and political manipulation. It would be naive to suggest that corruption (and attempts to corrupt) do not exist and will not continue to exist in

every society. The bigger and more experienced the society, the larger the scale of corrup tion and the more sophisticated are the techniques used. But it seems quite unfair to extrapo late from isolated instances to assert that corruption has be come a way of life. In Western Samoa, in my opinion, it cer tainly has not. No doubt in the last 25 years there have been many mistakes - mistakes which, as Maurice Shadbolt reminded Professor Wendt, Western Samoa acquired at independence the freedom to make. Experience is surely the ability to leam from ones mis takes. The more rigorous re search now being carried out by Western Samoa into the back ground and credentials of prospective foreign investors is sound and reassuring evidence of that experience. Let us hope that Western Samoa’s optimism and persistence towards the achievement of its objectives is not deterred by the cynicism and despair conveyed in Pro fessor Wendt’s article. Nor by the fact that progress may not have been as great as he appears to have anticipated.

We are delighted and honoured to have been invited by West ern Samoa to play a small part toward the achievement of its economic plans. John F. Boyle, Managing Director, Pacific Corporate Services Ltd,Syd ney,NSW