Food voucher value for fest participants reduced from $40 to $35
by Fili Sagapolutele
Samoa News Correspondent
The value of the food voucher for the estimated 2,000 delegates for the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts has been reduced from $40 to $35 per day per person.
Festival co-chair Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde said the executive board reached the decision to reduce the food voucher during a meeting this week.
"In trying to balance the festival's budget realistically, now that we have a better idea of the revenues through donations to the committee, the board discussed adjusting or lowering the food voucher value," Fagafaga said yesterday.
He said some of the motions put forth for a vote was from $25 to $30 per day and the board finally voted and approved $35 a day for three meals a day for each participant.
The board is leaving it up to the logistics subcommittee to divide the value of the coupon for the three-meal-per-day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). The vouchers will be used at approved festival food vendors.
As of yesterday afternoon, Fagafaga said the committee is now working on revising the entire festival budget before the board makes a final decision.
Preliminary budget for the festival as of Feb. 6 was a little over $4 million while expenditure was a little over $3 million with a shortfall of $1 million that the organizing committee hopes can be supplemented by additional corporate donations.
CONSTRUCTION WORK
Yesterday, the Department of Public Work's began construction one of the 27 fale Samoa for each of the countries participating in the festival.
Fagafaga said the one fale being built will be used as a model for the other 26 fales that will be constructed by various villages who have offered to built them as their way of contributing to the festival.
Construction work has also started for the expansion of the Fagatogo Pavilion to provide more over-cover for the stage to allow set up for dressing rooms.
Fagafaga also said that the board has agreed on a designated area to build a "big stage" for the performance arts on the sami side of Utulei Beach, with Mt. Pioa (or Rainmaker Mountain) as the backdrop.
He said Fletcher Construction has offered to build the big stage free of charge as their contribution to the festival.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chamber of Commerce president David Robinson urged members during a meeting on Wednesday to support the festival as this is a huge and important event for American Samoa.
Robinson later told Samoa News that the Chamber members have been asked to seek corporate support from their corporate partners off island.
For example, he said Panamex Pacific's corporate partners are Pepsi and Heinz - both major companies with presence in the Pacific - and they've been asked for support.
Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com.
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