Western

Samoa

WESTERN SAMOA has not been terribly lucky in recent years. In 1991 it was devastated by two cyclones and in July last year a disease was discovered that has almost wiped out its taro crop one of the country major

foreign exchange earners.

The country was still struggling to its feet after Cyclone Ofa hit in February 1991, when Cyclone Val lashed the

islands. Apart from the physical damage

suffered, the economy was left in tatters.

Ofa was estimated to have caused WSS3O6 while Val’s bill was more than double this.

More recently came the taro blight. In 1991 total exports of taro were more than WS$6.9 million. Now, as one observer put it, “taro has gone down the drain”.

However, despite the blows, Western Samoa is far from lying down and giving up. Given the true spirit of Samoa, Fa’a Samoa (the Samoan way), and their greatest asset, the people and their resilience, the country has stood-up, met and overcome the obstacles. Just visit the country and you will see a new tar sealed road, reclamation on the water

front, development, foreign investors,

growing tourist numbers and a general air of optimism.

Institutions such as the Development Bank of Western Samoa is encouraging and assisting farmers to diversify crops.

The Central Bank of Samoa is wooing foreign investors like the Japanese com pany Yazaki that has set up with tax-free status and employs close to 200 people.

The Bank is confident that this is only the beginning. The Bank is also running a lucrative offshore financial centre and the signs are very encouraging.

Then there is the Western Samoa Visitors Bureau which has undertaken a

major tourism development plan which

should see the number of tourists double by 2001. Going hand-in-hand with this is the increase in tourist accommodation,

meaning development, and increased

employment.

The country’s flag-carrier Polynesian

Airlines has recently diversified its routes to bring in more tourists.

Theses are some of the main players in the country’s development. But behind all this are the people, who make Western Samoa, well, Western Samoa. A country fighting back. □

The Cradle of Polynesia

Martin Tiffany

The people: fighting back with the spirit of Samoa