throw in any number you want
the bottom line, is competition opens up more choices for the public
what are you afraid of, that you might get a better deal from the next guy?
Open Competition is the key to better services. The companies want to invest and build structure and hire more employee's, then let them. Open the competitive spirit of business folks and you would be amazed at the results---- Samoans must compete for the same businesses and not allow outsiders open doors into markets that Samoans can compete for, but at the same time we should not CLOSE these markets to outsiders for fear they might take over. Risk is a party to the openess of and growth of our people

If, the service is bad, go to the next guy. Maybe he/she will treat you right. Governments job is to Regulate to industry and never to get in the same business competing against business. More people will work if government step aside and allow people to flourish in an atmosphere of competition.

More taxes, More jobs with the Quality of life developed. The Next set of Leaders of Samoa will have to examine the role of government to completely become removed in any competitive buiness that can be done better if privatized.

ex. Electric Power Corporation, Radio Stations, Management of Wharfs, etc,

We still have a ways to go to better serve and to better develop Samoa.
Bring the competition in and allow more creative ideas to flourish or set the country back and allow mischief and polical agenda's take over.

I love Samoa

Long Live Samoa

You are talking through a hole in your head mate. Who is going to pay for the social impacts of all this privtisation on our people? Like you this lazy government is now hell bent on selling off as many state owned enterprises as possible, then sitting back and letting the percentages roll in. Being raided by overseas operators who have bottomless bank accounts and can maipulate local conditions is not fair competition. It's a straight out hijack and beat up with no apologies. You don't love Samoa, you love your bank account and your puerile ego. Measure your words.

Whilst privatisation is good in some respects, it is certainly not the panacea to all economic problems Samoa suffers from. Just because an SOE is privatised, it doesn't necessarily mean that the next owner is going to pour copious amounts of money in. The private owner will only pour money into the company if s/he can see a profit in it.

Just look at the public bus service in Samoa. You get in a bus in Apia and it goes round and round and round until it fills up all the seats. If it doesn't fill up all the seats with passengers, the service is sometimes cancelled altogether! The bus owners understandably want to make a profit and will only service routes that are profitable. That is why you're stuck catching taxis back to your village at midnight when the nightclubs close. Mind you, the way those bus drivers drive, it is probably a good thing that they don't drive at night.

Privatisation needs to be carefully weighted by the government, whether it is in the community's interest. It is a really good thing that Radio 2AP (AM station) wasn't privatised, otherwise there would probably have not been an round-the-clock radio updates in times of national emergency. I will never forget the SBC broadcasts during Cyclone Heta - very professional, very efficient, and those guys stayed at their posts all night to update the nation as the winds and waves attacked the country. In the morning, the Head of State, the late Malietoa addressed the nation. I was so happy to hear his voice and so thankful to those radio broadcasters who kept us updated throughout the night.

A country like Samoa - out of the way of the major trade shipping routes and having limited infrastructure and poor-quality soils to support agricultural exports - is not the major attraction that overseas investors will want to throw money at. Only in tourism this could happen. However, then you'll have another problem of all profits going overseas and the local communities living off the rent of their lands, whilst their own agricultural products are not even used by that local hotel owned by the major international conglomerate.

I agree with Veta - words on privatisation need to be measured.

measure the thought, pursuade the mind
reform of any kind is measured against the conditions the reforms attempt to improve
you cannot pursuade me to see government as the answer to every little social proble we encounter
from the persepective of running an effecient business. government of any society cannot measure against the prospects of a model that is for profit

thou you should measure your thoughts very carefully-- your number is called

regulations is something governments can and should engage within
set up the model and engage in the rules with vigor. when the rules are set up correctly, the referee must stay out of the boxing ring-- it is an analogy, but in commerce, it works just fine.