Samoa government

Put together by Samoa Surety Insurance Ltd aid by the UN Capital Development Fund, the new parametric insurance aims to build disaster resilience and preparedness for Samoan people against increasingly frequent climate hazards.

Parametric insurance describes a type of insurance contract that insures a policyholder against the occurrence of a specific event by paying a set amount based on the magnitude of the event, as opposed to the extent of losses in a traditional indemnity policy.

The Seasonal Employment Unit has been moved from the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour to the Ministry of Finance in a Cabinet reshuffle.

The new policy includes amendments aimed to address issues relating to poor working conditions, salaries, mistreatment, eligibility and contracts.

In a press release Papali'i said he accepts the court was faced with exceptional circumstances but he claims there are questions of law the courts have not previously considered.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday last week voided the decision of the Legislative Assembly in October of 2022 to give a two-year suspension to the Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and the secretary of his Human Rights Protection Party, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.

They include a so-called a Samoa Stock Exchange, a Samoa Digital Asset Exchange and an Oceania Special Economic Zone, all of which the government says it has not endorsed or approved.

"Despite what has been circulating on social media, the Government of Samoa confirms that it has not given any endorsement or approval of such an initiative," a statement from the Prime Minister's office said.

It said applications it has received regarding these initiatives were being reviewed and appraised by the relevant authorities.

The money was included in the $1-point-zero-eight billion tālā Budget tabled in Parliament last week.

The interim CEO of Samoa Airways, Fauoo Fata Tielu, has confirmed the airline managed to pay $15 million tālā owed to non-government agencies as of March 8th this year, but they still have a long way to go with the remaining debt.

Samoa's Government has announced a five-day school break for students beginning on Monday, to help control an influenza outbreak that began seven weeks ago and raise the measles vaccination rate.

The Government said it's a precautionary measure, in reponse to an escalating number of influenza cases which it has described as "alarming".

According to the Ministry of Health there have been 2,441 hospital admissions since the outbreak began with 70 of the cases classified as severe.

Samoa Observer reports First Union Chief Executive Officer Seveaoga Saint Tomi-Setu as saying they're continuing to push for an increase in the minimum wage.

He adds they are awaiting the outcome of recent legislation introduced to allow for a bi-annual review of the minimum wage.

Prime Minister, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, last month confirmed that the Government will review the minimum wage, as part of its commitment to making life easier and affordable for families in Samoa..

The Samoa Observer reports Cabinet approved this after a request from the Audit Office, amid concerns of a four-year period since the accounts of Samoa's diplomatic missions were last audited.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for the Audit Office, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, said he couldn't understand why it took so long for the missions to be audited when it should be done annually.

But he said missions' finances have not been totally neglected as they are monitored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Samoa's Minister of Social Development Leota Lamositele said the funds will be used by district councils to finance local projects and staff income.

Lamositele said the size of funding to each district is determined by financial estimations provided by local councils.

Former Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegao, has criticised the funding scheme, accusing the Government of not having a framework in place to audit the funds.

Samoa media reports the move to get Samoa Airways back flying internationally was revealed by Minister for Public Enterprises, Leatinu'u Wayne So'oialo, in announcing the final payment of $US1.6 million to sever a Boeing 737-800 lease agreement with an overseas company totalling $US4.6 million.

Samoa Airways no longer operates long-haul flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland - traditionally its primary sources of passengers and freight.