Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has announced the appointment of four Chief Executive Officers, approved by the Cabinet during its meeting yesterday.
In a press conference today she announced the new Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Finance is Saoleititi Maeva Betham-Vaai.
She said Saoleititi worked in the Ministry of Finance as Assistant CEO for five years before her appointment as the liaison officer for the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank Liaison Office; eight years later her position was elevated to overseeing the bank office in Samoa.
Adding, that Cabinet has confidence in her abilities to carry out the mandates of the Ministry of Finance in the next three years.
The World Bank Group portfolio says, Saoleititi was responsible for developing and maintaining healthy working relationships and partnerships with the Government of Samoa through close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (as the executing agency for all World Bank-funded projects), the various implementing agencies in the different sectors where the World Bank is engaged, and Samoa’s other development partners.
Prior to joining the World Bank Group in 2009 Saoleititi was an Executive Director’s Advisor to the Asian Development Bank Board of Directors, but before that international posting, she worked for the MOF from 1992 and by 2002 she was serving in the position of Assistant CEO.
Saoleititi holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Manila University, in the Philippines and a Bachelor of Business Majoring in Accounting from the University of Central Queensland, Australia. She’s also a founding member of the Women in Climate Change (WICC).
The Prime Minister also confirmed that Cabinet also reappointed Agafili Shem Leo has been reappointed as the CEO for the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Agafili was first appointed as CEO in 2015.
He is also the Secretary to Cabinet and the Chairman of the National Emergency Operation Committee.
Furthermore, Cabinet also reappointed Tevaga Viane Tagilima as CEO for the Unit Trust of Samoa.
Tevaga was the head the MOF Budget division for 11 years before serving as the Director of Finance for the Pacific Theological College in Fiji close to four years.
Before his appointment as CEO in 2019, he was an ACEO at the Land Transport and Authority.
Tevaga holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
The fourth CEO confirmed by the Prime Minister is the reappointment Ms Elita To’oala to the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
This is her third term as Chief Executive officer.
Fiame said Ms To’oala has been the CEO since the MPE was first established in August 2015 and oversees 27 Government Public Bodies.
Elita To’oala,holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Western Sydney.
The MPE’s core function is to monitor the performance of Pubic Bodies in accordance with the provisions of the Public Bodies (Performance and Accountability) Act 2001.
