The Director of Events, Marketing and Distribution post has been contracted as the Communication Specialist for the Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity and Marketing Project (SAFPROM) project. 

The Tenders Board awarded the contract for Communication Specialist under SAFPROM to Vaagi Kevin Schuster in mid-March. 

The approval followed the evaluation committee’s recommendation to contract Mr. Schuster at the negotiated daily rate of $950 tala or a total bid price of $190,000 inclusive of VAGST and subject to withholding tax for 12 months.

Mr. Schuster is known in the fashion industry for being the organiser of the Life-Con Pacific events that brought to Samoa fashion artists from across the Pacific to showcase their talent and business. 

His EMD company offers capacity building specifically in the area of customer service training in the public and private sectors. 

Meanwhile, the SAFPROM project that Mr. Schuster has been contracted to do communication specialist is for 200 days. 

SAFPROM is an initiative by the Government through M.A.F. in collaboration with key donor partners such as the World Bank Pacific and the International Fund for Agriculture Development International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 

It was officially signed in October 2019 to increase the productivity and access to markets by selected producers, improve the management of targeted natural resources, and provide an immediate response in the event of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency.

With the help of key donor partners, the Government of Samoa secured $USD 23.55 million in grants over five years to help support the development of the agriculture and fisheries sector into a flourishing commercial entity.