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Local DOC and EPA reps in Samoa to integrate planning, policy, and development plans

The 24th Annual Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP) meeting held in Apia was vice-chaired by ASG-EPA Deputy Director Fa’amao Asalele with an attending ASG delegation of Air and Land Division Manager William Sili and Acting Territorial Planner and Planning Division Manager Liné-Noue Memea Kruse.

 

The 24th Annual SPREP meeting provided Pacific island nations and territories the resources and technical assistance of integration and regional cooperation supported by SPREP. 

 

In particular, the opening remarks by Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi noted the immense successes and achievements made by the SPREP Pacific Island member states and territories, increasing the level of practical programs to each member island state.

 

SPREP’s Director General highlighted that through SPREP tangible support to SPREP Pacific Island members has provided direct financial and technical assistance. The budget has increased from USD $7.6 million in 2009 to USD $18.8 million this year.

 

This translates into much needed programs and assistance to address critical issues in the Pacific: e.g. climate change, waste management, invasive species, environmental monitoring and reporting, and disaster risk management. Additionally, with heightened frameworks of implementation, monitoring, and evaluation for each SPREP program, the opportunity to collaborate with participating Asian, American, and European countries to solicit funding and technical assistance has proven to be effective over the past 10 years.

 

Partnering countries outside of the Pacific have provided technical assistance to infuse  mechanisms that incorporate high level outcome reporting in addition to output. These types of reporting and monitoring elevate the programs and technical capacity of in-country government personnel and lend a positive response to increased funding for designated successful projects.

 

While in Apia, the Planning and Statistics divisions of the local Department of Commerce also attended by invitation of the Samoa Bureau of Statistics Assistant Chief Executive Officer Malaefono Tauā, a workshop to enrich the integration of development plans, sector and corporate plans to statistics and policy – all at the national level.

 

Chief Statistician Etuale Tuileta, Acting Territorial Planner Liné-Noue Memea Kruse, and Economic Planner Practitioner Milo Niuelua attended these workshops to monitor the efforts of neighboring Pacific Island Countries in order to coordinate and integrate statistics, data, national plans, policy, implementation, and monitoring.

 

The Samoa Bureau of Statistics is trail blazing ahead within the Pacific region in the arena of development plans, policy, and statistics noted in the 4th Heads of Planning and Statistics conference in New Caledonia this past July.

 

Department of Commerce Director Keniseli Lafaele has developed a close partnership with Samoa’s Bureau of Statistics that will assist the Statistics and Research division to produce higher results of validated data to more properly inform policy and economic decisions.

 

Liné-Noue and Etuale also visited the trades and certification programs at the National University of Samoa (NUS) and the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) campus completely funded by AusAID for all Samoan citizens. Liné-Noue previously taught at the NUS campus in the Faculty of Arts. Before leaving Apia, visits were also made to multiple ministries and authorities to enhance economic development opportunities for the ASG.

 

Source: ASG media release