Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has announced that the government has prepared an annual budget for the year 2021-2022.
During a press conference held Wednesday, Fiame said last week was mostly taken up with clarifying the different budget provisions that have been made.
“I would like to acknowledge that our Treasury have in its usual work prepared an annual budget for the Year 2021-2022, and that is in place.”
“However, due to our political impasse, you will appreciate that Parliament has not been able to convene and pass a budget for the new financial year. So as an incoming Government, and it’s already into the new financial year, it was important for us to be clear on the provisions that the caretaker Government had taken to ensure the continuation of Government work,” she said.
Fiame said, “Briefly, Section 105 of the Constitution which applies to emergencies was used by our outgoing Government, the provisions there to ensure the running of Government.”
“We as an incoming Government, had thought that we would have used a different provision section/article 95 of the Constitution which allows for 25% of the previous budget to be utilized as a transition budget while the main budget is prepared and can be tabled in Parliament.”
“So in short and especially with consideration for the timing of our emergency proclamations, which are made on a monthly basis, the last proclamation ended on the first of August so the work last week was very important that we coordinate the decisions on the budget preparations that it also works in tandem with the proclamation for the new period which started on the 2nd of August to the 29th of August.”