Month: September 2025

Source:

Official Speech by the Acting Prime Minister of Samoa Afioga Hon. Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo

Honourable Ministers of Cabinet

Your Excellency, Mr. Ryotaro Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to Samoa

Members of the Diplomatic Corps

President and CEO of SUNGO and Board Members

Executive Director of PIANGO

Chief Executive Officers of Government Ministries

Representatives of Civil Society Organisations

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

Talofa lava, malo le soifua maua ma le lagi e mamā.

Today is not just the opening of a building — it is the opening of possibilities.

This centre is more than bricks and mortar — it is a beacon of hope, where government, civil society, and our partners build together the resilient Samoa our people deserve.

It marks a milestone in our national journey, where government, civil society, and international partners stand shoulder to shoulder to build a stronger and more resilient Samoa.

On behalf of the Government of Samoa, I extend our deepest appreciation to the Government and People of Japan for their generosity and enduring friendship.

Your Excellency, Japan has long been a partner whose support is humble yet transformative.

From education and health to climate resilience and infrastructure, Japan’s assistance has strengthened our communities and touched countless lives.

This training facility is not just development aid — it is a bridge of trust, respect, and shared values between our two nations.

Our nation’s strength lies in collective action. Civil society, especially through SUNGO, has always been central to this.

Today, SUNGO unites over 100 non-governmental and community-based organisations, reaching thousands of Samoans across every district. In times of disaster, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and throughout community recovery, SUNGO has stood at the frontline — ensuring that voices from the grassroots are heard, respected, and acted upon.

But challenges remain. We know that too many village committees still lack access to formal training in accountability and governance. We know that many civil society organisations continue to face gaps in skills, resources, and systems to strengthen their impact.

This new facility will help to close those gaps — building the knowledge, capacity, and confidence our communities and civil society leaders need to serve effectively.

This centre is more than bricks and mortar. It is an investment in people, in leadership, and in potential.

Here, youth leaders will sharpen their skills.

Here, women’s committees and disability advocates will grow their capacity.

Here, communities will gain tools for governance, disaster preparedness, and rights-based advocacy.

It will be a hub for leadership and governance training, financial literacy and accountability, disaster resilience, rights-based education, and inclusive dialogue — ensuring that voices from every district are heard.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT VISION

This facility also reflects our national vision. It complements the Pathway for the Development of Samoa, and connects directly with the work of the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development.

Through the District Development Programme, Government is investing one million tala every year in every district.

Through the Early Childhood Development Framework, we are prioritising the first 1,000 days of life.

Through our Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion strategies, we are ensuring dignity and opportunity for all.

SUNGO’s training facility is a natural partner to these initiatives — providing a space where communities are not only recipients of development, but shapers of it.

Let me be clear: the Government of Samoa does not see civil society as separate. You are our partners in nation-building.

Together, we can ensure that development funding — whether through the District Development Programme or through civil society initiatives — delivers real, accountable impact at the grassroots.

This facility is a tool for that partnership. But its true power lies in how it will be used: in every workshop, in every dialogue, and in every leader it nurtures for the good of Samoa.

In closing, I once again thank the Government of Japan for your generosity and enduring friendship. I congratulate SUNGO on this milestone, and I commend the unity and effort of all who have made it possible.

Let this centre stand as a beacon of hope, a hall of learning, and a platform for change. May it remind us that when government, civil society, and our partners work together — Samoa moves forward, stronger and more resilient than ever.

Ia fa’amanuia le Atua i lenei nofoaga fou, ma fa’amalō atu i le galuega lelei.

Soifua ma ia manuia.

September 30, 2025

Source:

[PRESS RELEASE – Apia, September 25] — The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the commencement of a major bathroom construction and renovation project for the Magiagi Primary School in Samoa. The project is designed to address the growing needs of the school’s staff and student population by upgrading sanitation infrastructure. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Jeffrey Moore, a team of 20 engineers will renovate existing restrooms, repair plumbing systems, and restore the roof, while constructing a new toilet block to enhance accessibility and capacity.

The start of the project was marked by a commencement visit from the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Daniel Tarapacki and the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Tuaopepe Perenise Tinei of the Ministry of Education and Culture, underscoring the strong bilateral cooperation and shared commitment to safety, public health and community.

The project focuses on sanitation and the restoration of school bathrooms for Magiagi Primary School students, encompassing renovation and repair of existing restrooms, comprehensive plumbing system repairs, roof restoration, and construction of a new toilet block to improve accessibility and capacity, with a strong emphasis on safety, hygiene, and long-term usability for staff, students, and the surrounding community.

Lieutenant Jeffrey Moore, Project Lead stated, “This project is more than building facilities; it’s about investing in the health, safety, and future of Magiagi Primary School and its surrounding community. By renovating existing infrastructure and adding a new block, we are ensuring reliable sanitation that supports learning and daily life for years to come.” The team will collaborate with school administration, local workers, and PP25 partners to ensure timely completion and adherence to high standards of safety and quality.

This initiative is part of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP25), a sustained annual military-civilian mission aimed at strengthening partner nations’ ability to deliver essential services to civilian populations. PP25 emphasizes humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, medical and public health, engineering, and host-nation capacity building. The Magiagi Primary School project exemplifies the program’s mission to support resilient communities through practical, on-the-ground infrastructure improvements.

U.S. Embassy Chargé, Daniel Tarapacki, acknowledged the support of Principal Muliagatele Masae Tupou in facilitating the commencement visit. “This effort, conducted under Pacific Partnership 2025 and led by LT Jeffrey Moore, exemplifies the power of collaboration to deliver safe, dignified facilities for students, staff, and the surrounding community. We are deeply grateful for the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture, our Pacific Partnership 2025 partners, and all who contribute to strengthening our shared humanitarian mission and resilience.”

End Release.

US Embassy Apia, Samoa

September 30, 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government will launch a three-year “Pilot Scheme for Elderly Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to Reside in Residential Care Homes in Guangdong” on October 1.

Funded by the Community Care Fund, the scheme offers subsidies to elderly recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) who choose to retire in Guangdong, allowing them to reside in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. A quota of 1,000 eligible participants will each receive a monthly subsidy of $5,000.

Applicants must have already joined the Portable CSSA (PCSSA) Scheme or be eligible to do so; reside in designated RCHEs; and not be concurrently receiving any other subsidy for residential care services from the Social Welfare Department or other organisations.

In addition to cash assistance under the PCSSA Scheme, elderly participants in the pilot scheme will receive a monthly subsidy of $5,000 to cover the costs of residing in RCHEs and related living expenses.

The Social Welfare Department has commissioned the New Home Association as the approved service provider (ASP) to assist in implementing the scheme.

Starting from October 1, eligible elderly CSSA recipients can apply to the ASP or social security field unit responsible for their case. ASPs will provide relevant information about designated RCHEs to help recipients and their family members select suitable RCHEs and file their applications.

Upon completion of vetting procedures, the Social Welfare Department will issue notification letters to applicants to inform them of the outcome of their application and the relevant subsidy disbursement arrangements.

ASPs will organise experience tours to some of the designated RCHEs, giving participants an opportunity to view the facilities and experience the services in order to select a suitable care home. Tentatively, the first experience tour will be held in November.

The Social Welfare Department will issue letters to eligible elderly CSSA recipients in batches to promote the pilot scheme and invite them to join the experience tours.

Since March, the Housing Authority has adopted a more flexible tenancy arrangement, providing a longer adaptation period for elderly persons who choose to retire on the Mainland.

Elderly Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants participating in the pilot scheme can retain their existing PRH units or tenancies for six months, starting from their departure from Hong Kong to retire in the Mainland. The arrangement is also applicable to the elderly residents of Housing Society rental estates.

Call 3422 3090 or 2815 7399 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government released the Long Term Housing Strategy Annual Progress Report 2025, setting the supply target at 420,000 units for the next 10-year period from 2026-27 to 2035-36.

At a split of 70:30, the public housing supply target will be 294,000 units and the private housing supply target will be 126,000 units.

There will be sufficient land for meeting such targets, the Government stressed.

For public housing supply, which is planned to move towards a 60:40 ratio between public rental housing (PRH)/Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) units and other subsidised sale flats (SSF), the 294,000-unit goal will comprise 176,000 PRH/GSH units and 118,000 other SSF units.

Since the current-term Government took office, more than 103,000 families have been housed to PRH or purchased SSF offered for sale by the Housing Authority and the Housing Society, representing a significant increase of about 50%, as compared to approximately 68,500 families in the previous three-year period  from July 2019 to June 2022.

In the coming five years from 2026-27, the total public housing supply, including Light Public Housing, will reach 189,000 units, an increase of about 80% compared to when the current-term Government took office.

In terms of traditional public housing, the supply over the coming five years is expected to reach 169,500 units, comprising about 110,600 PRH/GSH units and about 58,900 other SSF.

This means an average annual completion of over 30,000 units, the highest in the past 24 years, the Government highlighted.

In addition, compared to the five-year period at the start of this Government, the supply of Home Ownership Scheme flats is projected to increase by approximately 50% over the original estimates.

As for private housing, the supply in the primary private residential property market for the coming three to four years is about 101,000 units.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region