American Samoa Delegation Visits Samoa
Delegation from American Samoa.
Photo: Government of Samoa
The delegation from American Samoa Customs was greeted by the Ministry
of Customs and Revenue (MCR) this week. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Commerce organized the visit, which was a result of the
Atoa Samoa negotiations that took place in October 2022.
This was done to promote open communication about trade facilitation,
border protection, and enforcement while also enhancing customs
relations between the two nations.The goal was to talk about topics of
shared interest and look for workable answers to problems that we all
faced.
The delegation, which includes two representatives from the Treasury
Department's IT team and five managers and officers in charge of
specific Customs divisions, was led by Mr. Elisara Elisara, the Chief
of Customs in American Samoa.
The week-long tour began with an introductory kick-off meeting with
MCR scheduled on March 6th, 2023. The Delegation also attended the
Tuesday morning session of Parliament, in which they were welcomed by
the fono's Speaker.
Later that same day, they visited the Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon.
Fiame Mata'afa, Prime Minister of Samoa, and the Hon. Tuala Tevaga
Iosefo Ponifasio, Deputy Prime Minister, on a courtesy call to
converse and welcome them.
Having started Wednesday, consultations were conducted with the Acting
CEO, Management and team of MCR, Acting CEO for the Ministry of Prime
Minister and Cabinet, Immigration Team and the Joint K9 Unit.
The delegation was provided with a chance to discover more about our
Immigration Border Management System and the degree of collaboration
of Border Agencies in a number of committees, units, and working
groups, including the Transnational Crimes Unit and the National
Security Committee and others.
Site visits were also initiated on the baggage and passenger prior
work at both the Matautu International Wharf and Faleolo International
Airport. The team also had the chance to visit the Joint K9 Facility
in Tuanaimato and reach Officer Euro, our Customs K9 dog, who is the
newest member of the unit.
In light of the growing border threats associated with the smuggling
of unlawful substances such as drugs, money laundering, and
counterfeit goods, the K9 operations are among the main emphasis areas
of the visit.
The group participated in the passenger and cargo clearance of the Air
New Zealand flight, which arrived on Thursday afternoon, while out on
site at the Faleolo International Airport.
The in-depth discussions held this week have further confirmed that
there are a number of issues that need to be addressed by both
countries, including the increased trade in counterfeit goods and
medicines, the use of illicit drugs and substances, false declaration
and undervaluation of goods, and false declaration and undervaluation
of goods.
The Ministry and delegation were appreciative of the Deputy Prime
Minister, Hon. Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, and Prime Minister,
Honorable Fiame Naomi Mataafa, for giving up their important time to
meet with the delegation.