The first round of the VEX Robotics Samoa Pilot Competition was held yesterday at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S).
The Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters (S.A.M.E.) will launch a new Samoa-New Zealand Business Council this week.
The unveiling of the Council will take place at this year’s Buy Samoa Made Trade Show in Auckland and will complement the new permanent exhibition centre that will be officially opened this week.
S.A.M.E. President, Tagaloa Eddie Wilson, told the Sunday Samoan that the Council would have only one item on its agenda – to increase Samoan exports to New Zealand.
He said the body was something discussed at last year’s Trade Show.
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“It was an idea that S.A.M.E. was looking at to strengthen the export market in New Zealand,” he said. “We sort of started it already at the Buy Samoa Made last year, so all the 28 companies that went last year are now part of this council or association including the
New Zealand counterparts we have.”
“It was decided at last year’s meeting that we were not going to copycat what all the other business associations were doing we looked at initially setting one goal and that is to increase and facilitate export of goods and services from Samoa, that is its one objective.”
“The association that we are looking at one of the tasks of having it established is so that we can monitor the export for Samoa and gives us a very good excuse to meet and see what is going on and what we can do to strengthen the exports.”
Tagaloa said in regards to the Council’s structure that there had been some suggestions offered up.
“We are looking at the Prime Minister (Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi) as the Patron and the Deputy Prime Minister (Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo) as Vice Patron,” he said.
The council will meet before the trade show to work out a few administrative issues,” said Tagaloa.
“So in addition to launching the exhibition centre we are also going to announce that there is such an association…to look after the interests of exports from Samoa,” he said.
Tagaloa said in regards to similar business organisations they would be invited to join the new council.
Looking towards this week’s show, Tagaloa said three new products would be introduced to New Zealand buyers.
He said the products are a new nonu wine from Talofa Spirits, Palusami from Krissi Co. Ltd of Savai’i coconut cream fame, and Samoan chocolates made by Wilex.
“We have a couple of other new products, but they are not quite ready yet,” Tagaloa said.
“So what we are going to do over the next 12 months, as with the exhibition (centre) there, if we have new Samoan products we are going to promote it, launch…and have them included there,” he said.
Tagaloa said the idea is with the exhibition centre was once it is set it up and there permanently it will be used to launch new Samoan products throughout the year.
“We are not going to see it go into dust,” he said.
“We are going to have continuous promotions and every time Samoa comes up with a new product or service the idea is to launch it include it there.”
“So that is the idea of that.”
He said if anyone had any new products they would like to expose to the New Zealand market to please contact S.A.M.E.
“We are currently also very open to taking any other Samoan (products),” he said.
“(So if) anybody that has a new product that they want to launch this is the opportunity for the exhibit in Auckland we will be very open for new products that come up.”
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