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Pacific News Briefs

compiled by Samoa News staff

RULES CHANGED FOR MISS SAMOA PAGEANT

The rules have changed.

The Miss Samoa Pageant is now open to any female of Samoan descent. Chairperson of Samoa Events Incorporated (S.E.I), Laeimau Oketevi Tanuvasa confirmed the change.

 “This year the government has instructed S.E.I. that part of the invitation for this year’s Miss Samoa Pageant is that the rules have changed,” she told the media.

“This is how it was before and then the government changed it. Now it’s back at it so this is the rule that we are following for this year’s pageant.

“It is now open to any Samoan girl or girls of Samoan blood who would like to be part of the Miss Samoa.”

There are conditions, however.

“As long as they have a sponsor. They must have a valid business license, or a Trust or a proper NGO and they have to pay a registration fee of $300.

“Those are the new rules added to all the other rules that are already there when S.E.I. took over.”

Laeimau also confirmed that all contestants from Australia are eligible. They include Miss Samoa NSW, Fasi Talimatasi Liolevave, Miss Samoa Australia, Hopelynn Aiesi Toloa and Miss Samoa Victoria Inc., Adele Faaosofia.

“For the three contestants from Australia, we have checked all that needs to be checked and they are all valid, which means they have met all the rules and regulations that are needed.”

Laeimau also highlighted the importance of the Miss Samoa pageant in promoting Samoa.

“Events such as these will benefit our economy,” she said. 

“I have witnessed in our Miss Samoa Facebook page that there’s about 9,000 people who are interested in the event so that is the positive side of this.

“And there will be judges who are experts who will be judging the event on the night so we will leave it to them to make their decision while we do our work in organizing and getting things ready for the day.”

Laeimau also clarified the issue about filming rights. She said TV3 holds the rights.

“The pre -pageant program is not exclusive to any certain media outlet so that means all the media will be covering the pre-pageant program but on the night of the main event, TV3 has the filming right to broadcast the event,” she said.

“They will be the ones who will be responsible for allocating where the other media outlets should set up.

“There is also a fee to be paid to TV 3 for Broadcasters or Production Companies if they want to film the night of the event. This also applies to those from overseas if they do want to come and film the Miss Samoa Pageant.”

Nine contestants have been confirmed for the Pageant.

The overseas-based contestants are scheduled to arrive on 3 September to begin the pre pageant program ahead of the grand finale on Saturday 9 September.

(Source: Samoa Observer)

NEW COMPANY ‘RAY OF HOPE’ WITH 60 JOB OFFERS

Good news is on the horizon for some of the 700 locals who have found themselves jobless last week with the closing of Yazaki.

A family-owned New Zealand manufacturer, Fero, has offered 60 jobs to employees on the same rate they were paid by Yazaki.

It is the start of something the company hopes to grow to enable them to offer at least 200 jobs in the next two years.

Fero produces wiring units that fit into products such as parking meters and police cars.

General Manager, Sam Fulton, told the Samoa Observer they are looking at starting in November.

“It's our goal to be employing 200 staff within 24 months,” he said. 

“There's a bit of dependency on the amount of work that we can secure for the plant and we'll be looking towards the Australian market for that."

Fulton spoke with the Samoa Observer about Fero’s plans.

He said one of advantages of the Samoa move is that they “were very impressed with the level of knowledge and skill demonstrated by the Yazaki staff and felt that this was a very good opportunity for us and to assist with keeping the skills and knowledge in Samoa and to be able to satisfy our customers’ demands.”

According to Fulton, the company has been approved by the Government as a qualifying project under the customs regulations 2010 as per F.K. (17) Faapitoa 08; they have an agreement to lease approximately 8500sqm of space in the current Yazaki building in Vaitele; and they have established jobs for 60 of the current employees, on the same rate that they are currently being paid at Yazaki. They also have orders from their customers for products that are to be made in the Fero Samoa factory.

 (Source: Samoa Observer)