The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) has made it clear they are not competing with the private sectors, but rather exist to assist them.

SROS Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Seuseu Tauati, said that is the stage that the organisation is currently at in terms of their product inventions and the next step to take. 

"We’re kind of between a rock and a hard place, because we’ve got equipment and it can do several stuff, it can do avocado processing, nonu processing, coconut processing.

"But because nonu and coconut are done by other companies, then why should the Government do it? We should be quiet and go do something they’re not doing so we only do avocado. 

"A business minded person may say hey, a business minded person would say I’ll do the whole shebang, I’ll do more than that, run this machine down, and we can’t be seen to be doing that, because we’re here to help you, not to be your competitor," he said in an interview with the Samoa Observer

He said the fact that they produce a wide range of new products makes some members of the private sector "uncomfortable", and he does not understand why.

"Private sector also doesn’t like us for that because we are their competition and  I don’t know where the competition is.

"You know stories that go around is just terrible, saying we are looking into things that go against their product. But I invite them, I ask who said it and we invite them, come to SROS," he added. 

Dr. Seuseu emphasised that they are always looking into making products as this is what they are mandated to do.

SROS was established in 2006 with a mission to "conduct scientific research and development technologies of great value in the sustainable development of value added goods and services for export, and to achieve reduction in fuel imports and greenhouse gas emission” and an overall vision of achieving a significant improvement in Samoa’s GDP and social benefits through research and the development of value adding to Samoa’s goods and services.