New President on mission

By Diedre Fanene 12 February 2016, 12:00AM

The new President of the Public Service Association (P.S.A), Karamellie Siagiagi Tuala, is a woman on a mission.

And on top of her list of things to do is to restore the faith in the Association’s ability to help its members as well as to work with her Executives to find a new home for the P.S.A.   

Ms. Tuala was recently appointed as the P.S.A’s President. She is teaming up with Seumanu Mikaele Teofilo and Margaret Fruean-Sofe as Vice Presidents.

The Executive Members are Seve Sinei Fili, Luamanuvae Gaugau Mateo, Ioane Tuuau, Sivailoa Laulua and Naama Panapa.

Ms. Tuala said she is looking forward to the future but she knows the road will not be easy.

 “Before we get to that plan, as a President, I must ensure that we revive the Association,” she said.

The word revive is apt.

 “Everyone thought that the P.S.A no longer existed,” she said. “So now that we have new members of the association, we will try our very best to bring back the P.S.A to the way it was before.”

History shows that P.S.A was one of the most active and liveliest associations during its heydays. But over the years, it kind of died a natural death.

That’s until now.

Ms. Tuala said the first step is to bring back all the members.

 “In doing that, we will be doing registration for all of the P.S.A members,” she said.

“We will re-introduce P.S.A inside the public service because there are a lot of public servants who are not members.”

The Association is also looking for a new home.

“The venue at Fugalei has been there in the beginning since 1980,” she said.

“If you look at it, it’s not safe for all of us, it’s falling apart and so we need to have a new one so that we can use it for our meetings.”

Ms. Tuala said that during the A.G.M, they approved a plan to start work on finding a new venue. The Association is looking at funding opportunities with the possibility of obtaining assistance from China or Japan.

 “If not, it has already been approved as well that the P.S.A will fund its own venue. “[And] once that venue is finish it will be used for meetings and it could be hired out to get money for the Association.”

By Diedre Fanene 12 February 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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