Lau Susuga le Taitai o le Sauniga,
Lau Susuga ile Faafeagaiga Moeaiseu Raymond Betham
Afifio Minisita o le Kapeneta,
Le mamalu I Minisita Lagolago faapea Sui Usufono uma a le Palemene o Samoa,
Susu Sui o le Diplomatic Corp,
Lau Susuga i le Taitaifono ma le Sui o le Komisi o Galuega a le Malo,
Le Paia ma le Mamalu o le Aufaigaluega a le Malo o Samoa, o ē ou le aso
I le ava male faaaloalo tele, ou te tula’i atu ai e fa’afeiloa’i aloaia lo outou paia ma lo outou mamalu, i le sauniga mo le fa’ailogaina o le Aso Faapitoa, “Le Aso mo Tagata Faigaluega Uma a le Malo”.
O lenei taeao, ua poto moli i futiafu e tasi, ma ua tatou patipatia le lona sefulu o tausaga, talu ona fa’atino le fa’amanatuina o lenei aso taua, talu mai le tausaga 2012. O se fa’amoemoe tāua tele, a’o fa’amanatu ai foi e Samoa le 60 o tausaga talu ona tuto’atasi. Ua 60 ai fo’i ma tausaga o lo tatou Malo. E le taumate, ua tele ni suiga, ae o le mea moni, e sui faiga, ae tumau fa’avae.
O le sini autu o le asō: O le “Agaga Tautua”. O le ‘auga o aute, o le fa’ailogaina ma le patipatia o le sao ma le auaunaga a le mamalu o le aufaigaluega a le Malo, i le tautuaina o o tatou tagata ma le atina’eina o le tatou atunuu.
Ae ina ne’i galo fo’i ia i tatou le tautua matapalapala a le to’atele o i latou sa auauna ma tautua i le Malo i tausaga ua tuana’i, ae o lo ua malolo manumalo (ritaea), po ua fai i lagi le folauga ma ua lagomau mai fo’i i tiasa.
O se faamanatu taua tele lea ia i tatou e u’unaia ai le faaauau pea o le tuuina atu o la tatou auaunaga i ona tulaga silisili, talafeagai ma le faamaoni, talu ai ona o i tatou lava o tagata Samoa moni. O le faatinoga o o tatou tiute, oloo fa’avae i luga o tu ma aga tausili e limataitaina ai a tatou galuega, ae o loo afifi faatasi ai ma nisi o vaega taua o la tatou aganuu e pei o le tautua i totonu o tatou aiga, o nu’u ma Ekalesia ae maise le Malo Tuto’atasi o Samoa o lo’o faavaeina i le Atua. Ua faamalo i la outou tautua matavela, tautua lē popo, auaunaga le faalogologo-tiga.
O le agaga foi lea o le tatou Malo, se avanoa taua i lenei taeao e avatu ai sa matou upu faafetai ma se’i faailo ia Samoa lo otou sao taua i le Malo ma le atunuu. O loo nofo tatalo le atunuu ao otou alo faiva, matou te fia faamanuia ma faataua lo otou sao ona o la otou auaunaga, o le itutino tele lea o le tatou malo ua mafai ai ona faaauau galuega a le Malo i le va faalemalo ma Samoa atoa.
E avea ai a’u ma sui o tagata-nuu uma o Samoa, ae maise le Malo i ona ma’ave eseese, e fa’aleo ma momoli atu la matou faafetai tele, mo la outou tautua o loo outou gapatia ma galulue punoa’i ai i totonu o soo se Matagaluega poo Faalapotopotoga. O upu a le atunuu, a lutaluta le tai, sisi le la ‘afa. E le tauilo lo outou feagai ai ma lu’itau o le galuega i lea aso ma lea aso. Ae matou te talitonu ma lototetele, o la outou tofa fetala’i lea e mafai ona soalaupule ai soo se faafitauli e ali a’e mai. Malo toa, malo alofa ia Samoa.
Ona faai’u atu ai lea o sa’u upu i lenei taeao, Ia faaifo mai lagi ni manū mo le Aufaigaluega atoa a le Malo, i a’i latou ua tuana’i atu ma outou o loo galulue pea, matua pe talavou, o outou lava e lima ma vae iai le Malo i ona maave eseese, o la outou fautua, tainane tiute ma faiva o loo outou faatinoina, ia faamanuia tele le Atua. Ia tatou manatua, o le tagata faigaluega a le Malo, o le auauna lava lea a le atunuu lautele, ma ia teu fatu i o outou loto le tāua o lou valaauina ma lou filifilia.
E na ona ou faamanatu atu, afai e ia te’i tatou le Agaga o le Atua, o le agaga lea e mafai ai ona faatino o tatou tiute ma gafa tauave e aunoa ma se masalosalo, ae faia ma le faamaoni, le agaga maulalo ma le alofa I le atunuu, ona tatou maua lea o le Agaga Tautua. Toe fo’i le viiga i le Atua.
E ia te a’u le agaga fiafia e faaleo ai le tatalaina aloaia o le ‘Faailogaina o le Aso Fa’amanatu mo le Aufaigaluega a le Malo’.
SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA !!
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Afioga Reverend Father Moeaiseu Raymond Betham
Honorable Members of the Cabinet
Esteemed Members of Parliament
Members of the Diplomatic Corp
The Chair and Members of the Public Service Commission
Chief Executive Officers
All Public Service Employees
Ladies and Gentlemen
This year, as most of you know, Samoa is celebrating 60 years since becoming an independent democratic nation. It is a journey which has taken us as a people and taken Samoa from least developed to a developing nation. The Public Service has played a very important role in this journey, because you were the system stewards that worked with the Government of the Day leadership and with the people of Samoa to get to where we are today. Therefore, as we observe this significant event, we pause to remember and honour the memories of the pioneering public servants who have passed on and are no longer with us, as well as those who have retired from the service but who paved the way for the public service of Samoa.
The chosen theme of today’s celebration is “Spirit of Service”. In 2021, I addressed a CEO cohort whom just completed an Executive Development Program delivered by the University of New South Wales. This was during a time of immense change, with a new government, which triggered a myriad of challenges for all facets of our society. In that address, I spoke about what it means to be a public servant with a true spirit of service; I quote – a spirit of service is one that puts the needs of the country and your agency clients, before yours. It’s about selfless giving. Its ensuring that you’re not in the public service for personal gain or benefit, but because you have the skills and knowledge, to contribute to the betterment of Samoa, and for the greater good of our people.
Thank you
Today, as we celebrate the public service of Samoa and all that it stands for, I am reminded that the public service is not the most extravagant or profitable line of work but it is nonetheless one of the most important undertaking, and more often than not, it is the spirit and willingness to serve, that makes it so. Therefore, I say, congratulations! We celebrate you – you the teacher who teaches our children in public schools, you the officers keeping our country safe by enforcing our laws, you the workers who is fixing and maintaining our roads and power lines, you the agents leading the fight against climate change and protecting our environment, you the health worker treating and caring for our sick people, you the lawyers fighting for justice and advocating for the vulnerable, you the IT keeping us connected, the professionals protecting our borders, the cleaners, the support staff working behind the scenes and all of you undertaking various other tasks and duties for our country every single day. Yet all too often your chores are taken for granted by those who do not recognize the value of your services being rendered.
Today, we thank and salute you.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, our country, and the public service in particular, had never faced as stern a challenge as it did then and even now. There was so much uncertainty and unpredictability which are probably two of the worst threats any public administration could encounter. But as public servants, you delivered. You delivered in the face of adversity, with very minimal resources, with unprecedented highs and lows. You came together as ONE public service, from across all sectors, in a coordinated manner, to serve our country even in the most challenging circumstances. And for that, I thank you. We thank you – the CEO class, Assistant Chief Executives, Principal and Senior Officers right down to the administrative support staff, we acknowledge all of you today.
Reminder & Encouragement
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that the public service of tomorrow needs to be agile and adaptable. I believe we have already demonstrated that we have what it takes. Despite challenging times, I know that our public servants are finding, and continue to find, innovative ways to improve the services we offer and the value we provide to the public. This is the underlying focus of the work of the Public Administration Sector, to achieve a trusted, citizen-focused, government. It is also the fundamental intention of the guiding document that Government is now implementing as the Pathway for the Development of Samoa. We must work towards earning the trust of our people. Trust in the public service as an institution is key – why? Because in your position of authority, you are making important decisions that affect many people’s lives. Our people need to trust us to act and decide capably and competently, always in the public interest.
The Public Administration Sector Plan is the government’s commitment to delivering better quality services, having a skilled workforce, and developing better policies. And to achieve that high standard, we must commit to the principle of transparency and continuous improvement. Just as the private sector expect dividends, our country expects us to provide cost‐effective, quality services. But we cannot achieve all those aspirations without your service and commitment; As employees, you the public service is the very backbone of any government, and together you and I can make a difference in the improvement of services that we render appropriately and with confidence.
Moving forward, my challenge for you all is to continue the good work you are doing, continue to up skill yourselves in your line of work or study, set goals and pursue them. You are a resource, a people resource that can make or break a nation. Our government relies on your values and your spirit of service for a prosperous Samoa. Your Government is committed with the assistance of its Development Partners to ensuring you continue to develop your capacity by providing scholarships and continuing professional education and training in Samoa or abroad.
Final Remarks
In closing, I wish to reiterate the importance of being a public servant. I believe it is a noble calling—putting the needs of other people first, and specific to our own niche in this vast, big Blue Pacific Ocean that we lovingly call our home, you, the Public Servant can make Samoa a better place.
Congratulations to you all, and may your “Spirit of Service” continue to live in your hearts and minds today and the rest of your careers.
Faatasi mai le Alii ma i tatou uma I lenei aso.
SOIFUA
