The Samoa Minister of Public Enterprises, Honourable Leatinu’u Faumuina Wayne So’oialo and accompanying delegation; CEO, Ms Tooala Elita Tooala, Assistant CEO, Faafetai Golovale-Leiofi and principal advisor, Lisi Maranata Iosefa of the Ministry of Public Enterprises paid a courtesy call to New Zealand Minister of State Owned Enterprises, Honorable Paul Goldsmith on Wednesday 10th April 2024.
The purpose of the visit was to exchange views on policy frameworks governing New Zealand State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and shared Strategic Policy Reform actions that led to improved governance and performance of New Zealand SOEs in terms of service quality and enhanced contribution to its Government via dividends.
The Government of Samoa owns 27 Public bodies classified as 15 Public Trading Bodies, 10 Public Beneficial Bodies and 2 Mutual Funds holding at circa SAT4billion worth of assets in 2023. The Government of Samoa exercises the ownership of these Public Bodies in the interest of the general public through an ownership policy. The policy should inter alia define the overall rationales for Government ownership, its role in the governance of SOEs, how the Government will implement its ownership policy, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the Government Ministries involved in its implementation.
The exchanges extend to a continued shared experiences, ongoing partnerships and future synergies to ensure the ultimate stakeholders benefit from the services of its Public Bodies.
Meetings were also held between Samoa’s delegation and selected New Zealand SOEs to discuss shareholder expectations and frameworks around corporate strategic planning and investments plans in the SOE regime. The visit to New Zealand from 9 to 12 April was the second sector of the Study Tour which commenced in Tonga last week and will conclude in Fiji on the last week of this month.