Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata met and welcomed former Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski and his wife, Nancy, in Apia, Samoa, last week.
The Congresswoman had lunch with them and accompanied them as they met with small businesses in Samoa—start-ups that began from microloans.
Uifaatali said, “It was a delight to see Governor Frank and Nancy Murkowski as they once again tour the South Pacific. They were here some nine or ten years ago and toured American Samoa at that time, including our beautiful National Park. This time, I was happy to be able to meet them in Apia and observe their warm welcome from these entrepreneurs in Samoa.”
The Congresswoman said she first learned of microloan efforts as a Member of the House Small Business Committee in her first few terms in Congress.
“These are especially helpful in places such as Pacific Islands nations, where a loan of just a few hundred dollars can make all the difference in an entrepreneur’s effort to start up a small business.”
For instance, one of the start-up business owners they met began with a microloan for one taxi and now has grown to a small business with three vehicles.
“Microloans can be a positive development in our region of the world. In American Samoa, our economy is tied to the United States and would not be exactly the same, but I continue to support exploring the concept and possibilities in the future for American Samoa too,” said Amata.
Governor Murkowski had a lengthy career in public service including the U.S. Senate from 1981-2002, including time as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee—and later as the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002-2006.
“I have a longtime friendship with their daughter, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a senior Senate Appropriator,” concluded Amata. “I have traveled with her in the Pacific as part of congressional delegations and appreciate her ongoing friendship and support for American Samoa and the territories.”
