The Unit Trust of Samoa (Trust) convened its 12th Annual General Meeting for its unitholders on Tuesday 18th April 2023. The meeting was well attended, with the main item on the agenda being the discussion of the Unit Trust’s Annual Report for the Financial Year Ended 30th June 2022.
The Trustees in their role as guardians of the Trust delivered their address; reemphasizing the importance of safeguarding the unitholders’ investments and ensuring that all decisions made by the Management Company are in the best interests of the Unitholders. The unitholders were reassured that funds continue to be strategically invested in order to generate optimal and sustainable returns.
The Honourable Minister for Finance, Susuga Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo delivered the keynote address whereby she acknowledged the resilient nature of our people in enduring the domino effect of COVID – 19, geo-political tensions and the Russia-Ukraine war, which continues to affect Samoa and its economy, as experienced by the rise in the cost of living, closure of some businesses and less employment opportunities available to our people.
In response to the hardships faced, UTOS launched its Prospectus 2022 – 2025 in November 2022 and lowered its minimum start up units from 50 units to 25 units, effectively lowering the necessary start-up funds for any new unitholder to invest.
In addition to personal and group investments, the government has allowed Districts to utilize part of their $1 Million tala funds to invest in UTOS. The idea is that returns made from their investment would assist with future community developments that would continue to benefit families.
To further assist with facilitating investments from Samoans living abroad – be it permanent or temporary – UTOS has partnered up with Talofa Voucher – Pacific 40, allowing yet another avenue for Unitholders to buy units. UTOS has also been working together with MCIL in raising awareness about investment opportunities during the seasonal workers debriefing sessions, a testament of efforts to ensure every Samoan is able to invest.
The Honourable Minister concluded her opening remarks by thanking the Unit Trust of Samoa Management Ltd’s previous Board of Directors and introducing the incoming members, Afioga Seulupe Michelle Macdonald, Susuga Tufeao Faatuai Pulepule Fanolua and Afioga Lemalu Patricia Ah Chong – Fruean.
Following the Minister’s keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer for the Unit Trust of Samoa Management Ltd presented a summary of the company’s operations and the discussed with Unitholders the Annual Report for the period ending 30th June 2022. Questions and concerns raised by the Unitholders were addressed by the Chairman of the Board and CEO of UTOS Management Limited and Trustees for the UTOS (Trust).
The key highlights of accomplishments as achieved by the Trust during the financial year ended 30th June 2022 include;
· UTOS Investment Portfolio amounting to SAT$202million at the end of the financial period, thereby exceeding a long term goal to achieve a total portfolio of SAT$200million
· A dividend payout rate of 8 sene per unit (Dividend Yield: 4.52%) and disbursed a total of SAT $7.50 Million to more than 4,000 eligible unitholders.
· Total Returns for the financial year amounted to 9.25% with 4.52% generated from dividend distribution and 4.73% from capital growth.
· UTOS continues enhance its digital service avenues and during the year it improved on this through;
· Launch of online application form to allow unitholders to open their accounts online
· Ease of transfer of funds through – Vodafone M-Tala, Pacific 40 Talofa Voucher, ANZ Billpay and Online Banking Direct Transfers
· The Mobile App and Online Access also continues to be enhanced for ease of use by unitholders
· Ensuring that these digital avenues are also effectively safeguarded from evolving cyber threats.
· New Investments through purchase of shares in private companies and also lending towards Government Projects amounted to more than SAT$53million.
Unitholders expressed their gratitude and acknowledged the work of the outgoing members of the Board of Directors and also welcomed the incoming members and wished them well.
UTOS (Trust) is a private trust owned by the Unitholders with its assets entrusted to a Trustee Company which holds in trust the funds of the unitholders. These funds are invested into a diversified portfolio of assets ranging from term deposits, government guaranteed lending to the Government of Samoa, and shares in privately owned companies both local and across the region. Its social objective is inclusivity; allowing for accessible and affordable investment for ordinary Samoans. Its commercial objective is to generate sustainable returns for the unit holders from a risk assessed and balanced investment portfolio.
Should you need further information regarding your investment account with the Unit Trust of Samoa please contact +685 29916 or +685 26949 or email [email protected] or via our Facebook page Unit Trust of Samoa.
FONOTAGA FAALETAUSAGA LONA 12 MO SUIFAIIUNITE A LE FAAPUTUGATUPE TEUFAAFAIGALUEGA A LE MAVAEGA TAUSI A SAMOA: 18 APERILA 2023
O le Aso Lua 18 Aperila 2023, sa faatautai ai e le Faaputugatupe Teu Faafaigaluega o Mavaega Tausi a Samoa (Trust) lana Fonotaga lona 12 faaletausaga mo suifaiiunite uma a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi (UTOS). O le faamoemoe autū o lenei fonotaga, ina ia talanoaina le Lipoti Faaletausaga a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi mo le Tausaga Faaletupe Faai’uina 30 Iuni 2022.
I le saunoaga a le Tausi Mavaega e uiga i le faatinoina o latou tiute ma matāfaioi mo lea piliota, sa ia toe fa’amamafa ai le tāua o le malu puipuia o tupe fa’afaigaluega a le aufaiiunite. Sa ia fa’amautinoaina foi fa’ai’uga uma sa faia e le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi i lea piliota mo se manuia mo le aufaiiunite. Sa ia faamautinoa foi o loo fa’aauauina pea le fa’afaigaluegaina o a latou seleni i auala eseese aua tupe faasili e ono toe maua mai.
O le Afioga i le Minisita o Tupe, Susuga Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo na ia momolia le saunoaga autū o le fonotaga, ma sa ia faafetaia ai le finafinau o tatou tagata i le onosaia o aafiaga o le Koviti-19 ma nisi faafitauli o loo tulai mai i le lalolagi e pei o tulaga faapolokiki, faapea le taua i le va o Russia ma Ukraine, lea o loo faaauau pea ona aafia ai Samoa ma lona tamaoaiga, e pei ona iai le siisii o le tau o le soifuaga, tapunia ai nisi o pisinisi ma le faaitiitia o avanoa faigaluega mo tatou tagata.
I se tali atu i faafitauli ma faigata na feagai ma tatou tagata, sa faalauiloa ai e le UTOS le tusi o Fa’amatalaga Tau Alamanuia 2022 – 2025 ia Novema 2022, ma fa’aitiitia ai le aofaiga o iunite e amata ai se teugatupe teufaafaigaluega, mai le 50 iunite i le 25 iunite. O lea suiga i le faiga faavae, sa faia ina ia fa’aitiitia ai le seleni e mo’omia e amata ai se teugatupe teufa’afaigaluega o tatou tagata.
Sa faasilasila foi e le Afioga i le Minisita le faatanaga ua tuuina atu e le Mālo i itumalo uma e fa’aaogā ai se vaega o le latou vaegatupe e $1 Miliona tala lea e tufatufaina, e teu i totonu o le UTOS. O le faamoemoe o le Mālo ina ia maua tupe faasili mai a latou tupe o loo teufa’afaigaluega ma fai lea ma fesoasoani malosi i a latou atina’e i le lumana’i, ma faapea ai foi ona fa’aauau faamanuiaga mo āiga Sāmoa.
O loo tumau pea le sailia o auala e fesoasoani ai ma faafaigofie ai ona teufaafaigaluega seleni mai tagata Samoa o loo aumau i atunuu i fafo, ma o le ala lea ua faipaaga ai le UTOS ma le Talofa Voucher – Pacific 40, ina ia mafai ai ona iai seisi auala faaaopopo e faatau ai a latou iunite. O lo’o galulue fa’atasi foi le UTOS ma le MCIL i le fa’alauiloaina o avanoa fa’afaigaluega i fa’atalanoaga o tagata faigaluega faavaitaimi. O se fa’amaoniaga lea o taumafaiga a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi (UTOS), ina ia tutusa avanoa e maua e tagata Samoa uma e teu fa’afaigaluega ai a latou seleni ma maua ai faamanuiaga o loo maua e aufaiiunite uma.
Na faaiuina le saunoaga a le Afioga i le Minisita i le faafetaia lea o nisi o le Komiti Faatonu ua faamavae mai le komiti ma faailoa ai foi sui fou ua tōfia e faaauauina le galuega, o latou nei o; Afioga Seulupe Michelle Macdonald, Susuga Tufeao Fa’atuai Pulepule Fanolua ma le Afioga Lemalu Patricia Ah Chong – Fruean.
O le mae’a ai o le saunoaga autū a le Minisita, sa tuuina atu ai loa e le Ofisa Sili o le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi se otootoga o galuega faatino a le UTOS ma talanoaina ai ma aufaiiunite le lipoti Faaletausaga faaiuina i le Aso 30 Iuni 2022. Sa tali atu le Taitaifono o le Komiti Faatonu, le Afioga ia Magele Arthur Penn, le Pule Sili faapea le Tausi Mavaega a le UTOS i faafesili ma fautuaga sa tuuina mai e aufaiiunite.
O nisi nei o matāti’a ua ausia e le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi (UTOS) i le Tausaga Faaletupe na faaiuina i le Aso 30 Iuni 2022;
· E tusa ai ma faamaumauga o le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi, e SAT $202 Miliona le seleni aofai ua maua mai i Atina’e eseese o loo faafaigaluega ai teugatupe a le UTOS, ma ua faapea ona ausia ai nei taumafaiga a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi sa faatino I tausaga e tele, ina ua sili atu ma le SAT $200 Miliona.
· Sa faatino tufatufaga mo suifaiiunite uma, e tusa lea ma le 8 sene i le iunite e tasi (Tufatufaga Faaaopopo 4.52%) ma e SAT $7.50 Miliona lona tau aofai sa faasafua atu i aufaiiunite (4,000+).
· O le aofa’i o tupe fa’aaopopo i luga o teugatupe a sui fai-iunite mo le tausaga fa’aletupe, e tusa lea ma le 9.25%. E 4.52% na maua mai tufatufaga faaaopopo, ae o le 4.73% na maua mai le siitia o le Tau Aogā o le Iunite.
· O lo’o fa’aauau pea ona fa’aleleia auaunaga fa’atekonolosi a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi ma sa faatino foi nei galuega i totonu o le tausaga faaletupe.
· Ausia se auaunaga fou e faaaoga ai faatekonolosi faaonaponei, e mafai ai e tagata Sāmoa o loo aumau i atunuu mamao ona apalai se teugatupe e faaaoga ai le Upega Tafailagi.
· Ua faaaopopo auaunaga e mafai ai ona faatau e tagata a latou iunite e ala i auala eseese nei – Pacific 40 Talofa Voucher ma le ANZ payment biller. O loo tumau pea auaunaga a le Vodafone M-Tala faapea ma le Online Banking Direct Transfers.
· O lo’o fa’aauau pea le fa’aleleia auaunaga mo aufaiiunite o loo fa’aaogāina le UTOS Mobile App (tekonolosi faale-telefoni), faapea le Upega Tafailagi mo le sailiga o faamatalaga ma faamaumauga e uiga i le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi.
· Faatumauina le puipuia o faamaumauga a le UTOS, aemaise le fa’aaogāina o auala fa’atekonolosi eseese ua ausia e le ofisa.
· Ua faia ni teugatupe fou o loo teufaafaigaluega ai seleni a aufaiiunite e ala i le fa’atauina lea o sea mai kamupani tūmaoti. Ua faapea foi ona faia faaunegatupe mo poloketi a le Mālo e tusa lea ma le SAT $53 Miliona.
Sa faailoa le agaga fiafia o sui faiiunite i galulega faatino a le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi ma fa’afetaia ai foi galuega a Sui o le Komiti Fa’atonu o le a faapea ona tuua le komiti. Sa latou fa’afeiloa’i fo’i i sui fou o le Komiti Faatonu ma fa’amanuia atu ia latou.
O le Faaputugātupe Teufa’afaigaluega o Mavaega Tausi o Samoa, o se faaputugātupe tūmaoti e pulea e le aufaiiunite ma ua tu’uina atu le fa’atuatuaga i le Kamupani tau Mavaega Tausi, e va’aia ma tausia uma latou meatōtino. O nei meatōtino, e aofia ai ma vaegātupe o lo’o teufa’afaigaluega i vaega ese’ese o le tamāoaiga e maua mai ai ni seleni fa’aaopopo, e pei o tupe teu fa’avaitaimi i faletupe, nonōgatupe malupuipuia i le Mālo o Samoa ma sea i totonu o kamupani t ūmaoti i Samoa nei ma le Pasefika. O le anava fa’aagafeso’otai a le fa’aputugātupe, o le manuia lea o tagata uma, ia saunia ni auala faigofie ma taugofie e teufa’afaigaluega ai seleni a so’o se tagātanu’u o Sāmoa. Ae o lana anava fa’apisinisi, ia ausia ni tupe fa’asili mo aufaiiunite mai ana teugātupe ua māea ona iloilo toto’a.
Mo nisi fa’amatalaga e uiga i lau teugātupe teufa’afaigaluegai le UTOS, fa’amolemole fa’afeso’otai mai le tatou ofisa i le +685 29916 poo o le +685 29649. E mafai foi ona imeli mai i le [email protected] po’o le faafeso’otai mai i le tatou Facebook Page – Unit Trust of Samoa pe agai foi I luga o le matou upegatafailagi i le tuatusi o le www.utos.ws.
