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Pago Pago To Waive Entry Requirements For Arts Festival Participants

By Fili Sagapolutele in American Samoa
Sunday: December 23, 2007

American Samoa will waive all requirements for visas for official delegations from countries and territories confirming their attendance at the 10th Pacific Arts Festival in mid-2008. The territory will inform the participating countries about the lifting of immigration requirements. However, the territory is requiring that all participants must show proof of a round-trip ticket on arrival.

Local immigration law requires an entry permit for many of the countries attending the festival. But the organizing committee sought a waiver for all participants during a recent meeting with Attorney General Fepuleai Afa Ripley Jr., who agreed to lift the usual rules.

The Immigration Office in Pago Pago also says it will not hold the passports of participants upon arrival, which has been the usual practice. The practice was one of the concerns the business community raised during a meeting with the organizing committee last month. Business owners and representatives who attended the meeting also urged the committee to waive immigration requirements.

It is not clear whether the territorial government will waive entry requirements for non-participants (such as tourists) from the Pacific countries.

The organizing committee is finalizing an information package to be sent out by the end of January to all participating countries and this will provide nations with immigration, customs, agriculture/quarantine and public health information.

Meanwhile, the organizing committee’s board of directors met Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues in preparation for the festival, which runs from July 20 to Aug. 2, 2008.

Among the issues is the food voucher system to be used by participants for three meals a day. The committee estimates that it will cost $1.12 million for three meals a day for the 2,000 participants. The food voucher is the main topic of a Dec. 27 meeting between the committee and local food vendors and restaurant owners.

The Visual Arts subcommittee has also confirmed five visual arts events for the festival. They are: Traditional Art Show; Tribute Siapo Show; Children’s Art Show; Photographic Art Show; and Contemporary Art Show.

All shows will be held in the town area and all five shows are currently scheduled to open the same day (on July 24 or 25) but an hour apart beginning 4 p.m. The shows will be open for the public during the Festival, which runs from July 20-Aug. 2, 2008.

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