Unit Trust of Samoa

The Unit Trust of Samoa is an initiative of the Government of Samoa mandated under the Unit Trusts Act 2008, whose goal is to provide "an investment vehicle for local and overseas based Samoans and Samoan businesses". The establishment of the Unit Trust of Samoa was approved by the Minister of Finance on 2nd March 2009 as required by section 3 of the Unit Trusts Act 2008. In addition, The Unit Trust of Samoa was setup by Trust Deed, and is managed by a State Owned Enterprice which is UTOS (Management) Ltd. The Government shareholding Ministers of the UTOS (Management) Ltd are the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The Trust is an opportunity for small investors to access a range of investments while at the same time spreading risk and leaving the management of their savings in the hands of experts. It is also a part of the Government's policy of partially privatizing some State Owned Enterprises (SOE's) and promoting wider participation by residents in the future development of Samoa.