Lautimuia Afoa Uelese Vaʻai (born ) is a Samoan politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is a member of the FAST Party. He is a nephew of former Prime Minister

Vaʻai Kolone Vaai Kolone (11 November 1911 – 20 April 2001) was the fourth prime minister of Samoa and a founder of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in Samoa. He served as Prime Minister twice, first between 13 April and 18 September 1982, and then ...

. Lautimuia is from the villages of Magiagi and Vaisala and trained as an accountant at the University of the South Pacific in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

and Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. He worked as a lecturer at the National University of Samoa and as a senior civil servant before being appointed chief executive of the

Samoa Shipping Corporation The Samoa Shipping Corporation is a government-owned company in Samoa which provides freight and passenger services between Savai'i, Upolu and American Samoa. Established in 1974, the corporation is managed as a public trading body under the Publ ...

in November 2017. He contested the

2016 Samoan general election General elections were held in Samoa on 4 March 2016 to determine the composition of the 16th Parliament. Two parties contested the election, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), led by prime minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielega ...

in the Vaimauga West 1 Constituency as a candidate for the

Human Rights Protection Party The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP, sm, Vaega Faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata) is a Samoan political party. It was founded in 1982 and dominated Samoan party politics for decades thereafter, leading every government until their defea ...

. In February 2023 he was selected as the FAST Party candidate for the 2023 Vaimauga 3 by-election. He won the by-election, defeating his HRPP rival by 400 votes in the preliminary count. He was sworn in as an MP on 7 March 2023. In a cabinet reshuffle on 6 September 2023 he was appointed Minister of Finance, replacing

Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo (born ~1968) is a Samoan politician and Cabinet Minister. She is the first woman ever appointed finance minister of Samoa. She is a member of the FAST Party. Mulipola is from the village of Siutu and was active in ...

from 1 October 2023.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People from Vaisigano University of the South Pacific alumni Auckland University of Technology alumni Academic staff of the National University of Samoa Samoan civil servants Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi politicians Finance ministers of Samoa {{Samoa-politician-stub