A Samoan Cabinet Minister has donated $200,000 vatu to the Samoan community in Vanuatu on behalf of the Samoa Government to help them recover from the two recent cyclones that struck the Pacific nation. 

Olo Fiti Va'ai – the Minister of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure – and his delegation were in Vanuatu for the 5th Regional Ministerial Energy and Transport Meeting in Port Vila. 

He is leading a delegation that also includes the C.E.O. for the Ministry of Works, Transport Infrastructure, Fui Tupa'i Simanu as well as the A.C.E.O. for the Ministry of Finance, Heremoni Supaia-Ah Hoy and Principal Shipping Officer within the Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure Makerita Atonio-Iese. 

The money, which the Minister presented to the community, will also assist the Samoan PNG community with their preparations to have their own independence celebrations in Vanuatu next month. The financial assistance, according to Olo, was forked out from their own pockets to help the Samoan community in Vanuatu. 

The Fifth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers' Meeting (5th PRETMM) was held from 8–12 May 2023. The theme for the week-long meeting is "Accelerating decarbonisation in the Blue Pacific". 

The meeting included preparatory meetings of the energy and transport officials and side meetings between members and development partners, followed by the Energy and Transport Minister's meeting. It brought together more than 140 participants from 21 countries and territories in the region.