The Samoan government has approved new salary recommendations which include a pay cut for the prime minister and raises for the country's judges.
The annual pay packet of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has been reduced by $US2000 to about $70,500 that is from $WST187,500 to $WST182,070.
Most of the country's judges will receive pay increases of up to $US2000 while deputy presidents and judges of the Land and Titles Court got more than $3800 each.
The Chief Justice has been given a modest increase by comparison of $US125 bringing his annual salary to about $US64,000 or $WST165,270.
Tuilaepa and his cabinet approved the new payments following recommendations from the Salaries Tribunal.
All of the pay increases for judges were less than those proposed by the Minister for Justice earlier this year.
The cabinet paper on the increases, obtained by the Samoa Observer, did not say when the changes would be implemented.