PM with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd

By Tupuola Terry Tavita

The key to sustainable development is a healthy and educated population.

This was the nub of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s briefing of the Commonwealth Developing Small Islands States meeting here in Perth yesterday.

“An indispensable fact in achieving sustainable development is an educated and healthy people.”

It is therefore integral, the Prime Minister said, to develop “a good strategic plan and to adopt a whole-of-government approach that includes private sector and civil society participation”.

The go-forward vision that is garnered from these consultations, he said, is underpinned in the Samoa Strategic Development Plan (SDS) now in its 2008-2012 edition.

“Through responsible policies we strive to maintain macro-economic stability.”

A reforms programme implemented since the early 1990s, the Prime Minister said, has seen the liberalization of the financial sector, the restructuring of the tax and tariffs system and legislative measures that is conducive to business development.

“A key part of these reforms is the strengthening of the government’s partnerships with the private sector and civil society with the government withdrawing from many services in favour of private sector delivery.”

Thus, there has been a rigorous pursuit of new investments in recent years, he said, to develop tourism and commercial services.

“At the same time we are also putting back emphasis in traditional income generating activities through investing in agriculture in innovative ways and reinvigorating our inshore fisheries through targeted conservation and recovery projects.”

There is also a push, he said, in developing renewable energy and biogas technology as an affordable alternative for people to use.

“We have indicated our intentions for Samoa to be carbon neutral by 2010.

“We are in the midst of a tree planting programme to plant a million trees and we are taking steps to engage in partnerships with the private sector to increase the rate of development in renewable and clean energy.”

As a small island developing state, the Prime Minister said, it is vital to have in place effective early warning systems for natural disasters.

“Consequently , climate change and disaster risks and environmental considerations have been mainstreamed into our development plans and budgetary processes.”

Therefore, he said, the speedy accessing of climate change financing – including fast start funding for adaptation and mitigation activities as pledged at the Copenhagen and Cancun summits – is vital.

On the people front – the Prime Minister changed gears – the threat to development posed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is of real concern to Pacific Island states.

“The need to address NCDs was highlighted in the United Nations with the convening of a special summit on NCDs and by the Pacific Islands Forum just last month.

The CHOGM will be opened tomorrow afternoon at a luncheon hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. The Prime Minister is being accompanied by his wife Gillian and the delegation includes Ms Vaosa Epa, chief executive of the Prime Minister and Cabinet office, Aiono Mose Sua, chief executive of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Faalavaau Perina Sila also of Foreign Affairs, Samoa’s Canberra-based High Commissioner Lemalu Tate Simi and Tupuola Terry Tavita as media representative.

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