Lauga Autu Minisita o Galuega Tetele a le Malo, Afioga Olo Afoa Fiti Vaai i le Tatalainoa Aloaia o le Auala Tele mai Saina i Faleolo — Faleolo i Aana.

(Aso Faraile 23/08/2024)

Ou te muamua ona ta le fatu o le malolo nai le Matamatagi, e faapoipoi lilia ai aua ua le o le malu Fanua, a o le malu o Nuu ma Aiga.

Uo uma ona fola le fau, ua sasa foi le fala, ma ua tea i lagi le fetu tai matagi, o le faasagi lea i le Atua. O lea ua matamio le seuga e pei o le upu io Saleaaumua, aua e leai se toe taputapulalaga i le pau o le taeao.

E manatua i le loto le tala i le Tamaitai o Sina Le Laolao, ao ia laasia paepae o le Maota o le Tagaloaalagi ma le Lagituaiva fai mai, e muamua ona ia faapea ane:- Tulou! Na afua moi i le uluai paepae seia pai atu i le tumutumu, ona ia tootuli lea ma Faatulou.

Tulouna ia Ie paia ma Ie mamalu o Ie afioaga nei;

O Paia lava lea aua le Afio o To'alepaialii, o le Matua i Tofiga o le Aiga Satuala, Maliu mai Vaili o le La'au na Fausia, o le To'oto'o o Ma'auga. Faapea foi le Nofo a Tapuala ma le Lauti-na-LauIeIei, ma upu i le Faleaana, Tulou.

Susu Iau Susuga i le Taitai o le Sauniga, Iau susuga i Ie Tausi Matagaluega, Umi Pritchard, o le Ekalesia Metotisi i Satapuala,

Afio mai lau Afioga i le Sui Palemia, lau Afioga Tuala losefa Ponifasio, Afifio Afioga I Minisita o le Kapeneta,

Lau Afioga I le Fofoga Fetalai o le Maota Fono, Lou Tofa Li'o Ta'eu Masepau,

Lau Afioga I le Taitai o le Itu e Agaia le Malo, Lau Susuga Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Sui Faipule o le Palemene o Samoa,

Sui mamalu o le Faletupe o le Lalolagi (World Bank) faapea le Malo Ausetalia

Le Taitaifono ma le Komiti Faatonu ma le Pulega o Fela'uaiga i le Laueleele (LTA) Faauluuluga o Matagaluega ma Faalapotopotoga a le Malo,

Sui o Konekarate ma Konesale ma Kamupani Tumaoti,

Le mamalu o le au valaaulia ua mafai ona tatou potopoto mai lenei taeao; Aemaise le paia o Samoa o faafogafoga ma tapuai mai.

Talofa, Talofa Lava,

E ia te a'u Ie ava tele ma Ie migao e tatau ai, ou te faailoa atu ai Ie tatalaina aIoa'ia ai o lenei galuega tele a Ie tatou Malo, I Ie toe faaleleia ma le toe fausia ai o lenei auala i tulaga faainisinia faaonaponei, mai lava i Saina i le Itumalo o Faleata, seia paia mai Aana Alofi i Faleolo nei.

O lenei Atina'e o se galuega so'oso'otau'au a le Malo ma le Faletupe o le Lalolagi ma ana pa'aga, ina ia siitia ai le Saogalemu ma le Faigofie o Femalagaiga i luga o Auala, ia mafai ona tali atu i suiga ma'ale'ale o le tau, ma ia faa-faigofie ona feaveai ma fegasoloai le atunu'u e aga'i mai i le Itu i Sisifo o le Motu o Upolu nei.

Na amata mai lenei galuega i le tausaga e 2019, i le Faiga Moto sa tuIa'i mai i le foe i Iena vaitau, i le silasila mamao lea i le toe siitia ai o le fausiaina o lenei auala ina ia mafai ona tali atu i le faatupuIa'ia o taavale afi, aemaise o suiga ogaoga o le tau ua iai nei le lalolagi.

E 24 kilomita le umi o lenei auala mai Saina seia pa'ia Faleolo nei, ma o se auala ua matauina le toatele o le atunuu e faaaogaina mo femalagaiga, e le gata ia i latou i le atu Aana, Manono ma Apolima, ae faapea foi le atunuu e femalagaai i le va o Upolu ma Savaii, aemaise o le Malae Vaalele Fa'ava-o-Malo i Faleolo nei.

O le tau aofai o lenei galuega e tusa ma le $115 miliona tala.

$ 101.3 miliona tala na faaaluina i konekarate na fausia le auala;

S 13.1 miliona tala na faaaluina i galuega tau le tusia o ata ma le mataituina o le faatinoga o le fausaga;

ia ma le $ 0.5 poo le afa miliona tala na faaaluina mo taui o fanua ma mea totino a le mamalu ole atunuu, aua le ausia o lenei faamoemoe

Ma o le aso, ua tatou molimauina ai le taunuuga ma le tatalaina aloaia o lenei Atina'e taua mo Samoa ma ona tagata.

O upu a le atunuu, e le manogi se lolo i se popo e tasi, E mama foi se avega, pe a galulue ma tutu faatasi' ma e iai le talitonuga o le Malo, pe ana leai le tutu faatasi, galulue faatasi, le felagolagomai o i latou sa gapatia ma laina ma timuia, o le aufaigaluega galulue ma i latou uma sa togi ma'a i lenei galuega, aemaise o le Fesoasoani faifaipea a le Faletupe o le Lalolagi, ua ausia ai lenei matati'a i ona tulaga maualuga faainisinia i le toe faaleleia ma le fausiaina o auala tetele o Samoa, ma ia ausia ai le manulauti a le Malo, mo ni Femalagaiga Faigofie, Saogalemu ma Vave mo ona Tagata.

Ou te fia Faailoa foi le sao o Paaga ma Matagaluega a le Malo sa fesoasoani ma so'oso'otau'au i le faasoasoaina o le tamaoaiga mo lenei poloketi taugata, o Io outou sao ua faaalia i lenei faamoemoe taua.

Faafetai faapitoa i Konekarate ma Konesale uma sa Fuafuaina, Mataituina ma Vaava'aia le faagasologa o lenei Galuega, o Io outou tomai faainisinia, ma la outou Tofa-FaaIe-Atua sa faatonufolau ai lenei Galuega mai lava i le amataga seia oo mai i le taunu'uga lelei ma le matagofie. Malo le Tauatai, malo le galulue, o la outou pule lea.

Faaopoopo se faafełai i le paia ma le mamalu o le atunuu o lo o alala ma papa 'aao i lenei iłu o le mołu, aemaise foi o tatou tagata o lo o faaaogaina lenei auala i aso uma ma taimi uma. Faafełai le lava papale, malo le onosai a o faatino le tatou galuega mai nei tausaga e tele, e talitonu sa faalavelave ma afaina polokalame ma femalagaina a Io oułou mamalu a o faagasolo lenei galuega, peitai o la outou lagolagosua ma lo outou finagalo malamalama ua taoto ai i le agałonu ma lagi matagofie lenei galuega, faafełai.

E mautinoa o lenei galuega teIe, o le a le gata e siiłia ai le faigofie o femalagaiga a le mamalu o le ałunuu, o le a faigofie le fela'uaiga o oloa ma fefaatauaiga a pisinisi ma łagata laułele, siiłia le taIi atu i suiga ogaoga o le łau, faigofie le tali atu i faalavelave faafuasei e tutupu mai, i le vave lea ona oo atu o fesoasoani i le mamalu o le atunuu e nonofo i lenei itu o le mołu, aemaise lava i Iona saogalemu o femalagaina i luga o auala łetele.

Manatua, o lenei galuega ua Ie na o se Auala fou, ae avea lenei galuega ma pine faamau o le siitia o le tamaoaiga o Samoa, o se faailoga o galuega faaauau a le Malo mo le siitia o le soifua IauIeIei ma le tamaoaiga o ona tagata.

O ananafi na fausia ai nei, o nei e fausia ai łaeao, o taeao o le lumanai lea mo Alo ma Fanau a Samoa.

Soifua ma ia Manuia.

Speech for the Inauguration Ceremony for West Coast Road by Hon. Olo Afoa Fiti Vaai the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure.

(23rd August 2024]

Rev. Umi Pritchard

Honourable Ministers of Cabinet and Members of Parliament

Honoured Representatives of the World Bank and Government of Australia Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

We gather to celebrate today, the completion of the Rehabilitation and Enhancement of the most significant road corridor for Samoa, the West Coast Road.

This achievement is a significant milestone in our country's plans and aspirations towards safe and climate resilient infrastructure. Towards Empowering our Communities, Building our Resilience and Inspiring Samoa's growth through sustainable development.

Recognizing the fundamental role played by road sector assets in the well-being of Samoa's citizens, the Government had launched over a decade ago, an ambitious program to strengthen the resilience of our road infrastructure, by reconstructing, to higher standards, the most critical of our roads and bridges.

We needed to raise the bar with the standards of design and construction to withstand the impact of climate change and extreme weather events.

Today we celebrate achieving that objective for our West Coast Road.

The West Coast Road is the primary artery road on Upolu. It provides a vital land transport link connecting our capital Apia and the main trading port at Matautu, with the Faleolo International Airport, and Mulifanua wharf - our main gateway to Savaii.

In short it facilitates a vital connection for our people and our industries. Often referred to as the "backbone of Samoa's economic corridor" - its' upkeep is critical for Samoa's economic and social well-being.

The site we are at today marks the western most end of the physical works. This road upgrade spans a total of 24 kilometres, 8 districts 28 villages and hundreds of residential households along the way. From the village of Saina in Faleata No.4, all the way here to Satapuala in Aana Alofi No. 4 where we gather today.

The total value of this work is equivalent to $115 million Samoan tala, consisting of:

- $ 101.3 million tala for construction;

- $ 13.2 million tala for design and supervision services; and

- $ 0.5 million tala for land and property compensation.

Such an undertaking requires not just funding, but time, planning, and that most critical of components - the willpower and commitment of PEOPLE.

The people behind the jobs the people behind the organizations involved the people who have been accommodating of their lands and property the People of Samoa, who have cooperated and waited patiently to see the fruits of this labor.

The journey for this milestone has spanned 11 years - and has been realized through the lifetime of three different projects in order to accommodate not just the planning, feasibility studies, the design and construction, but also balancing the competing needs for funding, from all sectors and within the transport sector itself.

This West Coast Road completion is therefore testament to lasting and successful partnerships, as between our Government and the World Bank. It also demonstrates the commitment of our Government and leaders, to fostering and sustaining forward thinking long term development initiatives for our people.

On behalf of the Government and people of Samoa I extend my deepest appreciation to our development partners represented here today. The Government of Australia and in particular the World Bank, for the grant financing that made this achievement possible.

Of the $l 15 million tala cost of this development:

90% or $104 million tala was funded from grant financing by our partners,

- whilst the Government of Samoa contributed l 0% or $11 million tala.

Faafetai tele and we look forward to continuing our successful partnerships.

The Design and Construction Supervision services were provided by Roughton International Ltd in conjunction with local engineering firm, PLT Consultants Ltd. Of all the consultants and contractors engaged for this work, your role has meant engagement right from the start of the project l l years ago to completion just last month.

Faafetai for the patience and commitment.

I also acknowledge with appreciation the input of local firm IPA Consultants Ltd towards project management services in the early years, until we had built capacity within the implementing agency.

I am particularly proud of the fact that this upgrade of the West Coast Road was constructed entirely by local construction companies, over 9 different construction contracts.

I extend my congratulations to : Ah Liki Construction Ltd,

the joint venture company Ltd formed by Silva Transport Ltd, Ulia Construction Ltd and T & N Toleafoa Ltd;

and in particular, Ott Constructors Ltd who carried out the bulk of these works.

Congratulations and thank you for rising to the challenge, and demonstrating we have the capacity and capability within country for quality civil construction.

I acknowledge also the collaboration and assistance of all government agencies who have assisted our main implementing agency the Land Transport Authority. Your collaboration is crucial to successful outcomes.

Our Land Transport Authority commenced operations 15 years ago in 2009. This road project was commenced not long after in 2013. I therefore acknowledge and applaud the Boards, CEO's and staff, past and present for your contributions and perseverance. Malo le tautua.

Last but not least, I extend sincere gratitude to the people of Samoa and especially the residents of the 8 districts, many villages and the hundreds of households along this road. Your patience and cooperation throughout the course of this project has been invaluable. Whilst your government has provided monetary compensation for land and properties affected, we fully appreciate that their value goes beyond monetary. As such, your cooperation and contribution for the greater good of all of Samoa, is well appreciated.

As we officially inaugurate this road today, let us remember that it is more than just a means of transportation. It is a symbol of progress, resilience, and the enduring spirit of our nation. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient Samoa for current and future generations.

May this road serve our people well, and may it stand as a lasting legacy of our collective efforts to create a brighter, more sustainable future.

SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA.

Photo by the Government of Samoa (Pesetā Tusiga Taofiga)

September 8, 2024

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