1.1 Introduction

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Western Samoa was administered by New Zealand under a League of Nations mandate through the Treaty of Versailles. After World War II, Western Samoa became a United Nations Trust Territory under the administration of New Zealand. In May 1961, a plebiscite held under the supervision of the United Nations on the basis of universal adult suffrage voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence. In October of the same year, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to terminate the trusteeship agreement as of January 1, 1962, on which date Western Samoa became an independent sovereign state. Western Samoa earned the distinction of being the first independent sovereign state in the South Pacific. The prefix Western' was dropped in July 1997 and the country renamed itself the Independent State of Samoa.

1.2 Geography

Samoa lies in a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Samoa consists of two large islands of Savaii and Upolu, the small islands of Manono and Apolima and several uninhabited islets lying off the coast. The capital and chief port is Apia in Upolu.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand

1.3 Socio-economic Profile

Demographics

The nationality of Samoa is Samoan. The country is ethnically comprised of 92.6% Samoan, 7% Euronesians (persons of Polynesian and European blood), and 0.4% Europeans. 99.7% of the population is Christian. This includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, and Seventh-Day Adventists. About one-half of the population is associated with the London Missionary Society.

Population

Based on the 2001 Population Census Samoa had a total population of 176,710 people comprising 52% (92,050) males and 48% (84,660) females. Over 45% of the total population is under the age of 15 years old. Savaii, the largest island comprising the Samoan group comprised 42,848 people while the most populated region of North Western Upolu comprised a total of 30% of the population or 52,714 people.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2004 estimates place the population at approximately 178,000 people representing a 1% growth rate per year.

Labor Force

Based on the 2001 Population Census, there was a significant decrease in the total number of economically active laborers from over 57,000 in 1991 to almost 53,000 people in 2001 representing a drop of 7.25% over the 10 year period. Unemployment for the total population stood at 6% of the total active labor force in 2001. It should be noted that 54% of the total number of male unemployed persons were between the age of 15 and 24 years old, while 64% of the total number of females fell into the same age group.

Poverty Levels:

According the ADB, approximately 20% of Samoan households have incomes below the basic needs poverty line, and are therefore experiencing some degree of financial hardship. These same households are vulnerable to poor growing seasons, loss of employment and natural disasters. There are significant gaps between the two major islands of Upolu and Savai'i in terms of economic growth and human development indicators, with Savai'i lagging significantly behind. The greater Apia urban area, containing around 40% of the population, is estimated to generate 70% of the national income.

Economic Indicators

Samoa is one of the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) in the world, and one of the five LDCs in the Pacific. LDCs are characterised as having low national income, economic vulnerability, low levels of human capital development, and high dependency on agriculture for a living.

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture and fishing. In Samoa, over 78% of the residents live in rural areas and about 70% of households are agriculturally active. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Samoa's economy has seen a continued improvement in the export market. Tourism activity expanded and industrial production increased. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001.

According to the Central Bank of Samoa's Quarterly Review Bulletins, agricultural exports have been picking up strongly since 2002 as most of the major export items, especially fresh fish recovered significantly, despite a decline in its export price. However, imports have also been rising steadily. The following table shows the recent balance of trade:

Real GDP grew 6.5% in 2001, compared with 6.9% in 2000. In 2002, real GDP grew by approximately 5%. In 2003, GDP was at 3.5%. The following table provides the breakdown of GDP per sector up to 2003.

1.4 Government

The government is a constitutional monarchy under a native chief, which is the head of state. The Constitution provides for a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers who comprise the Executive Council and a Legislative Assembly. His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II is the sole Head of State for life. Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi Tuila'epa is the current head of government and has been serving in the position since 1996. Tuila'epa served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until he assumed the prime minister ship in 1996, when former Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana resigned in poor health. Tuila'epa was confirmed as Prime Minister in November of 1998 after Tofilau died. The post of Deputy Prime Minister is currently vacant. The Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the Chief of State with the Prime Minister's advice.

Upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term. Following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly. Parliamentary elections are held every 5 years. The number of seats for Territorial Constituencies was increased to 6 in 1991 while retaining the 2 seats for Individual Voters, thus raising the total number of members of Parliament to 49.

There are two major parties represented in Parliament: the Human Rights Protection Party and the Samoa United Democratic Party.

1.5 National Social Welfare System

There is no public social welfare schemes provided by the government, however, there is a compulsory national provident scheme where employees and employers contribute to the well being of its members.

National Provident Fund

The Samoa National Provident Fund is a compulsory savings scheme for employees (members) established in 1972 and entrusted with "safekeeping of members' contributions and to generate from the resources provided by these contributions the greatest achievable benefits for members and their dependents during retirement or in the event of earlier death or incapacitation." Contributions to National Provident Fund are made by employers on behalf of their employees and are 10% of the employee's gross salary (5% from the employee + 5% from the employer).

Death Benefits for members is currently $2,500. Members are also qualified for Members Small Loans (Contributions Loans). The current entitlement limits borrowing on these loans to 45% of contributions balance. The current rate of interest is 12% per annum. Contributions to the provident fund have a rate of return of 8%. The SNPF does not currently provide any form of healthcare scheme, but the organization has been conducting workshops on the subject.

The Fund underwent major restructuring in its first Corporate Plan Period 1998 - 2000 which resulted in the creation of four major departments; Members Services, Investments, Finance and Corporate Services.

1.6 Education Profile

Educational Structure

Education is mandatory in Samoa for all persons aged 5 to 14. The Government does not collect fees, but local communities (school committees) levy fees mainly to cover maintenance. The Government funds free stationery, teacher salaries, curricula, and books. Various Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) report that less than 2% of children never attend school.

The education system consists of 8 years of primary schooling (ages 5-14 years), 5 years of secondary schooling (15-19), and 4 years of higher education. National examinations are held in years 8 and 12. For year 13, a regional examination provides access to university.

Scholarships provide opportunities for tertiary education abroad for a third of students attending university. The National University of Samoa, Samoa Polytechnic, and some other post secondary institutions in Apia offer post secondary education. The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture (MESC) is responsible for policy formulation, guidance, and supervision of all government schools and institutions. Village committees run most primary schools and are responsible for setting, collecting, and spending school fees; constructing and maintaining buildings; and providing consumables.

Literacy Rates

In comparison to the other countries in the Pacific Region, Samoa has one of the highest adult literacy rates. Approximately 99.7% of Samoans at the age of 15 and above can read and write.

Enrollment Rates

As of a 2003 ADB study, the gross enrollment rates were 85% at the primary and 83% at the secondary levels. The gender gap in access and retention rates is insignificant. Samoa has 141 government, 15 mission, and 3 private schools at the primary level; and 25, 15, and 1 at the secondary level, respectively. Every village has a primary school, and the country has about 259 surplus primary classrooms. Some classrooms or schools were not constructed on the basis of need. Some areas have too many schools for too few children within a very short walking distance. Ultimately, this continuous expansion will take its toll on government resources as well as school quality and student performance. The number of full secondary schools (or colleges) is limited, mainly in urban areas, especially Apia. Savaii has only one full secondary school. The Government is committed to equalizing access to a unified stream of secondary education and began implementing this policy in 2002. The following table provides the figures on the number of enrollments from primary school to college between the years 1995 and 2002.

Availability and Quality of Teachers

According to a 2003 ADB study, well-trained teachers with adequate skills to transmit knowledge and manage classrooms are in short supply. Low salaries and limited opportunities for professional development impede attracting high performers to teaching and retaining those already in the profession. The following table shows the number of teacher employed in the different levels as of 2002.

The quality of teachers has been affected by the merger of the two major training institutions for teachers, the Western Samoa Teacher Training College and the National University of Samoa Faculty of Education. This merger changed course offerings for pre-service training, reduced the number of courses, and made many compulsory elements optional. Teacher effectiveness is also impaired by a shortage of teaching and learning resources as well as limited facilities and equipment, especially in the practical subjects.

Government Programs

According to the Asian Development Bank, since the Government adopted better education policies and strategies for 1995-2005, considerable progress has been made in (i) textbooks and learning resources for primary education; (ii) developing a new secondary curriculum and textbooks; (iii) education for special needs; (iv) early childhood education; and (v) bilingual language policy. The MESC's management capacity has been strengthened. The Government intends to improve the quality and intake of pre-service training by offering incentives and restructuring the career path, and improving the content and methodology of teacher training programs. In- service programs will be reviewed to ensure that they are effective, particularly with respect to pedagogical delivery, curriculum content, examination, and assessment. The Government has been implementing programs to renew the primary curriculum, provide teachers' manuals, textbooks and learning materials, and design related in-service training programs. External funding agency-supported secondary curriculum development work has also been ongoing.

The Government is committed to achieve Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals. Education is a priority of the Government's strategy to develop Samoa, which has already completed a number of activities. Despite its many achievements, the Government recognizes remaining issues related to pre- and in-service teacher training, primary and secondary curriculum, examination, assessment system, lack of learning materials, and unequal academic outcomes. The education system also has to prepare people for improving productivity and opportunities in the workplace, including opportunities in other countries, as remittances contribute to economic growth and reduce hardship.

1.7 Health Profile

According to the World Bank study for the Samoa Health Sector Management Project, several organizations manage, finance and provide health care services in Samoa: the Department of Health, Treasury, Public Service Commission, Department of Internal Affairs, Department of Education, the donor community, NGOs, traditional healers, and increasingly the private sector.

Currently, the Treasury plans and manages the health budget and the Public Service Commission recruits and manages human resources. The Department of Health through 5 hospitals, 12 health centers and 15 sub-centers is the major provider and financier of health services. The private sector, NGO's, women's committees and traditional healers each have a small role in health care. The private sector in Samoa consists of a 21-bed hospital, five medical clinics, two dental clinics and two pharmacies, all in the capital city of Apia. Private clinics have no laboratory or surgical facilities and patients are referred to the private hospital, Government facilities, or overseas hospitals for further treatment. Complicated public and private tertiary care patients are usually referred to New Zealand.

There are four main sources of health care financing in Samoa - the Government, external donors, NGO's and the users themselves. Public finances are generated from taxation (68-83%), external grants from donors (14-27%), and user co-payments and fees (3-5%). Samoa does not have a National Health Accounts system to provide information by the source of funds and type of service, and there is little information on private health expenditures.

Over the past several decades, Samoa has vastly improved the health status of its population by providing basic health services. Now, the infant mortality rate is 19.5 for males and 19 for females per 1,000 live births, maternal mortality ratio is 14 per 100,000 live births and the average life expectancy is 71.8 years for males and 73.8 years for females.

These achievements are the result of what could be considered a first stage in the reform of the Samoan health system, which consisted of building a framework for improving resource use by drafting a National Health Sector Strategic Plan; upgrading of clinical facilities and equipment; establishing a national health information system; and, improving service delivery in rural areas by providing outreach and home-based services through community nurses.

1.8 Information Communication Technology

As of 2002, Samoa had approximately 11,800 main telephone lines in use and 2,700 cellular phones. As of the same year, Samoa had 4,000 registered internet users, and samoa.ws is the only country service provider. The internet code for Samoa is .ws