The International Monetary Fund has hired a former finance Ministry chief, Tupa’imatuna Iulai Lavea, as a Public Financial Management Advisor for its Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (P.F.T.A.C.). 

Tupa’imatuna, who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance for nine years, joined the P.F.T.A.C. last year. 

P.F.T.A.C. said Tupa’imatuna had been hired to bring a wealth of Pacific and Public Financial Management experience.

The Centre was first established in 1993 to promote economic stability in Pacific Island countries through technical assistance and training. 

The P.F.T.A.C. was the first of the International Monetary Fund’s regional technical assistance centers, which are collaborative ventures between the Fund, member countries, and bilateral partner organisations and donors. 

Tupa’imatuna had three terms at the helm of the Ministry before Leasiosiofaasisina Oscar Malielegaoi took over in 2019. 

He subsequently left Samoa while he was Chairman of the Samoa Tourism Authority Board. 

Under his leadership, Tupa’imatuna was credited with lifting Samoa’s international status from a “least developed country” to that of a “developing country”. 

That announcement was made in 2012 by the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Only six nation states have graduated from the United Nations Least Developed Country category, since it was first brought in; most recently Vanuatu made the progression late last year. 

Tupa’imatuna was at the helm of the Ministry at other critical junctures in Samoa’s history, including steering the Government’s response through the 2008 global finance crisis;the 2009 tsunami; and 2012 Cyclone Evan. 

Before taking on the top job, he served as the Ministry’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Policy Management) for many years. 

Tupa’imatuna joined the World Bank Constituency Office representing the Pacific and was based in Washington, D.C. as the Adviser to the Executive Director between 2006 to 2009. 

He was also briefly an adviser to the Government of Nauru between 2005 and 2006 and earlier in his career worked at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva between 1991 to 1996.

The stated goal of P.F.T.A.C. is to strengthen the institutional capacity of Pacific countries to design and implement sound fiscal and monetary policy.