The country paused yesterday to honour the contribution of public servants to the development of Samoa.

The opportunity to do this came during the celebration of the Public Service Day, which started with a parade on Beach Road in the morning.

The parade brought together all government ministries, public bodies and corporations. It was a colourful event with public servants proudly wearing their uniforms. 

The 5th Samoa Public Service Day also remembered and honoured many of those who had retired from the service and have passed on.

The theme for this year’s commemoration was “Celebrating the Public Service of Samoa.”

Acting Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, Hon. Sili Epa Tuioti, congratulated all the public servants for their contribution to Samoa. In his view, the public service in Samoa is among the most respected in the Pacific region.

“Our development partners have also often commented favourably on the performance of our public service including in the implementation of projects funded or supported by them,” he said.

“Our public servants have contributed immensely to Samoa’s current economic and social development standing as well as our valued engagement with the United Nations and the international community.

“These achievements are worth celebrating and the contributions by the public service to these achievements must be celebrated.”

Sili reminded that the vision of the current Public Administration Sector Plan is for Samoa to acquire professional and competent public servants who provide quality service for and to its people.

“Over the course of the last two decades, our government has undertaken a number of reforms and restructuring in the public sector to strengthen organisational performance, financial management and accountability and to improve service delivery,” he said.

“It is important for us public servants to be diligent and thorough in carrying out our work responsibilities.

“We have a duty to respond on a timely basis to the needs of our people.We need to be willing and available to meet with them, to understand their needs and to assist in facilitating assistance your ministry is able to provide within the boundaries of government policy and available resources.Fa’amalo le Tautua.”