Countries and Regions

	Table of Contents
p. 5 of 20 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment A. Economic Performance Assessment B. Poverty Assessment C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance D. Governance: Sound Development Management E. Implementation Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Economic Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - Samoa : I. Country Performance Assessment

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D. Governance: Sound Development Management

14. Important progress has been made in improving governance in Samoa, and the Government remains committed to achieving further gains. The SES contains a commitment to ensure full compliance with the Accountability Agenda agreed by the 1997 Forum of Economic Ministers Meeting. Enhancing accountability and transparency will require to open the public sector to external scrutiny through improved public reporting. The approach adopted by public sector management in Samoa is performance based, but non-performance does not always trigger appropriate sanctions, and stronger action may be required. In this respect, the priority is the SOE and utilities sector.

15. Predictability has been greatly enhanced by: the clarification in the output budget of each department’s activities; the preparation of forward estimates; the preparation of the three SESs; the corporate and sectoral planning process; and the various guidelines and manuals on the ‘rules’ of public administration. This has built on a reasonably comprehensive legislative base and an independent judiciary and central bank (with respect to prudential supervision). Predictability can be expected to further improve as informal systems are formalized and the public and private sector gain confidence that rules will be adhered to.

16. A recent ADB financed economic report concluded that Samoa does not suffer from the same corruption problems as other countries in the region. But anti-corruption bodies can be justified even in a corruption- free environment because they can act as a deterrent to corruption. In this fundamental area of governance, prevention appears to be far more effective than attempts to cure corruption once entrenched. Options for an anti-corruption agency include the creation of a separate body reporting to Parliament or to extend the powers of the existing Ombudsman. A proposal to extend the powers of the Ombudsman was first developed in Samoa in the late 1980s.

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