Church ministers

The Minister of Customs and Revenue, Tuala Ponifasio, has been instructed to consult with the church ministers - as is required for any amendments to laws.

Removing the tax was an election promise by the Faatuatua I Le Atua Samoa ua Tasi, or FAST Party.

The law change in 2018 had sparked a feud with government and 30 ministers from the Congregational Christian Church were charged for refusing to what was dubbed income tax.

The tax was in fact on gifts given to the ministers by their congregations.

Last year tax evasion charges against ministers of Samoa's largest church, the Congressional Christian Church of Samoa, were dismissed over legal technicalities.

Speaking on Radio 2AP, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, said the government could not overlook matters of income tax and would continue to pursue the matter in court.

Tuilaepa said the only church denomination still refusing to pay taxes was the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, he said all other denominations had registered and were paying taxes.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said the government planned to pursue the church ministers individually in court.

Tuilaepa's comments come after last week's decision by the District Court to dismiss charges against a group of 19 ministers because of a lack of evidence.

In July the court dismissed charges against a separate group of 20 ministers.

Tuilaepa told Newsline Samoa charging the ministers as a group was a conscientious attempt not to embarrass their dignity by

serving each with a court summons.

The ministers appeared in the District Court this morning with the church General Secretary Vavatau Taufao confirming the withdrawals.

In July a court also threw out charges of tax evasion against 20 other ministers from the country's largest church.

The charges against the ministers stem from a new law, which makes it compulsory for all church ministers to pay taxes on the monetary gifts they receive from their congregations.

The CCCS voted in its annual general conference to boycott the law.

According to the Samoa Observer all of the accused have been remanded and will appear on 29 August for what is expected to be a two day hearing.

This is the second group of CCCS Ministers charged under the new tax laws.

The first group of 20 will have their hearing on 1 July.

The church, at its general conference last month, set aside money to cover the ministers legal fees.

They have been summoned by the Elders Committee to decide what action to take after the apparent failure of their boycott of a new government tax on church ministers.

The meeting comes as the government starts to prosecute ministers for failing to file tax returns.

A CCCS minister told KHJ News, on condition of anonymity, that the ministers hope the meeting would clear up confusion about the next course of action and some direction on the legal front.

This comes after eight were charged last week.

The Samoa Observer, quoted the Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, as saying the government would not back down over the law requiring church ministers to pay taxes on their 'alofa' - the offerings they receive from church goers.

He said they were having to stagger the arrests because of court schedules.

In May, Samoa's largest church, the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, voted to defy the government's tax move.

Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi met a delegation of more than 20 elders and ministers of the church on Monday.

Under a new law church ministers will have to pay tax from next month but the Congregational Christian Church, which is Samoa's largest, has said this goes against its faith.

Tuilaepa said the cabinet would respond in writing to the church.

Speaking to the media on the issue recently, Tuila'epa said no government would be controlled and directed from outside.