Four months and counting. Tick tock, tick tock. Is that what is going through the minds of our leaders as we slowly approach the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting?

That is the only thing on the agenda since the announcement was made a year ago. The government’s energy has been directed towards ensuring that the event is successful. It should be because this is the first time a tiny Pacific island nation has been given the chance to do so.

The monarch of Britain and the head of the Commonwealth, King Charles III is now confirmed to stay in Samoa. This is another one for the history books. The late Queen Elizabeth only made a day trip to Samoa in 1977.

The Cabinet has approved $300,000 to upgrade the accommodation to host King Charles III. All efforts are being made to make Sinalei Resort fit for the king.

The $304,000 will be sourced from the $20 million allocation in the National Budget for the high-level meet.

A Cabinet Directive stated that $96,000 was for furniture and fitting, $79,000 for Presidential suite renovations, $20,000 for bath additions, $20,000 for water features, $79,400 for the driveway to the presidential suite, and $10,300 for the entrance roundabout.

Schools would be closed to ensure teachers can be part of the logistic services. Generators have been brought in to ensure there is no power failure and extra water tanks have been set up for continuous water supply.

It is predicted that almost 6000 people will be in Samoa in October. The CHOGM will start on 21 October but people will arrive a week before that and some will leave a week or two after. This is good news for the economy. Hotels would be chalk-a-block, rental cars booked out, restaurants busy, and all other small businesses would benefit as well.

The economic benefit of the CHOGM is immense. $20 million was allocated last year and $20 more million has been allocated this year. For a $40 million investment, the payout has to be good.

While CHOGM is the biggest thing that will happen to Samoa this year, our leaders mustn't lose focus on the important things. CHOGM should not be an excuse not to improve the health system in Samoa. More doctors and nurses are still needed.

Teachers are becoming a rare commodity in this nation. This impacts the education of children. What type of future are we expecting when this basic necessity cannot be provided? More and more children are being seen out of school. Wearing dirty clothes, showing a lack of hygiene, and being involved in street vending when they should be in school.

Food security is something our leaders seldom like to talk about.  The national budget has shown nothing that will reduce the food import bill. The inability of local suppliers to stock up the local market has resulted in people opting for cheaper but low in nutrition alternatives in cans.

Fishermen in Samoa are claiming that operational costs are high and the catch has decreased. This is a result of inflation and unsustainable fishing practices. This is also a result of the lack of investment in this sector that could help prop up the economy.

Given that Samoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone is not that large even small-scale commercial fisheries are of benefit. Scientific evidence shows that our ancestors were master fishers and farmers. There was no need to rely on imports. Fish was part of everyday diet not just to make oka for the Sunday toonai.

The government is not making any direct investment in any infrastructure work. There is heavy dependence on aid money. A perfect example is the hospital. How long has the government known about the condition of the hospital but there was no major cost incurred and the wait will be for a donor?

The $1 million district development grant was a great idea, stories are now emerging of blatant wasteful practices like two district offices in one district or district offices on the MP's land where the lease is paid to MP and the case of the missing money in Savaii.

There is a need for transparency and accountability in everything done by the government. There is a need to ensure equal opportunities for the disabled. There is a need to eradicate gender-based violence. There is a looming war that will be imposed by methamphetamine for which the alarm bells have been ringing.

CHOGM will come and it will go. It is a one-off event. We should do our best to host it but we should never have other priority areas play second fiddle. When ignorance continues, it will become an impossible problem to solve.