Pacific governments

Samoa's prime minister is urging hotels and restaurants to include local cuisine on their menus.

Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi was speaking at Samoa's annual tourism forum where he lamented the lack of foods like taro and green bananas cooked fa'alifu style with coconut cream.

Tuila'epa told tourism industry stakeholders that local food is another good reason to visit Samoa and other Pacific destinations.

The prime minister spoke of his dismay at not being allowed a local favourite when visiting a hotel on Savai'i.

These were the words of Her excellency, President Dr Hilda Heine, of Republic of Marshall Islands during her keynote at the opening of the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Fiji last night.

“We simply cannot afford to leave out, or in some cases exclude, half the population of our economies,” President Heine said.

“It is bad economic policy no matter which way you look at it.”

“The staggering imbalances in our economies between men and women clearly reflects why progressing gender equality has been slow.’