Cabinet has approved the appointment of Oscar Thomas Malielegaoi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance. 

He is the son of Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and will assume the role on January 1, 2019, replacing Tupa’imatuna Iulai Lavea, who has been the C.E.O. the last nine years and is retiring.

Ministry of Finance staff said the new appointment was announced last Friday by the Minister of Finance Sili Epa Tuioti during an official function. 

The outgoing C.E.O. was at the helm of the Ministry in critical junctures in Samoa’s history, playing key roles to steer the Government through the global economic crisis and the 2009 tsunami and 2012 Cyclone Evan. Tupa’imatuna was also instrumental in Samoa’s graduation from least developed country status to developing country. 

The newly appointed C.E.O. was a director's advisor at the Asian Development Bank, and is currently the deputy director for the Ministry of Finance and assistant public trustee. 

Repeated efforts by the Samoa Observer to get comments from Sili have been unsuccessful.