The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S.) has been losing more than $100,000 per year at the E.F.K.S. Museum. 

The losses were revealed during the Annual General Assembly at the Malua conference this week. The $5.7million Museum, opened five years ago, was designed to store the growing volume of artwork by the Leulumoega School of Fine Arts.

But the losses since it opened have been staggering. 

A member of the Church’s Finance Committee revealed that in 2014, the Museum recorded an income of $20,395 with expenditures of $185,000. This meant a loss of $165,000. 

 The following year, while revenues increased to $37,000, expenditures of $216,000 meant the loss increased to $181,000.  

According to the Committee member, it is time to make some changes.

“The picture here (digits) tells us a trend of an increase in profit loss,” he said. “The committee feels that the best way to improve this development is to allocate it under the school’s committee to make it easier to work in partnership with le Leulumoega School of Fine Arts.”

The Manager of the Museum, Tuigamala Opetaia Liu, acknowledged the results but said the museum is making progress. 

When he was appointed in August 2013, the Museum had been closed for some time and it was not in a good state. 

 “Another thing that I found out when I got there the assets in the museum were not registered,” he said. “There were a lot of art works that were lost and stolen. The assets have now been registered and so is the Museum – it’s registered now as a business.”

Compared to previous years, Tuigamala said there was a time before him when the Museum only had revenue of $1,000. 

“What I’m trying to say is that the Museum is not like a supermarket where people just walk in to buy food,” he said. “At the moment we are partnering with Samoa Tourism Authority and others like the airport and Tanoa hotel that will help in generating revenue. 

“In moving forward we have a Corporate plan for the next five years and by next year we will have another plan for the next term of years.”