Samoa government

The players, who recently took part in the Olympic qualifiers in Monaco, are among 72 people who were denied travel on a repatriation flight to New Zealand last Friday.

The passengers will now have to wait until 27 July for a confirmed date to travel back home.

Pacific Rugby Players Welfare CEO and former Samoa rugby player, Dan Leo posted the current situation faced by the national teams on Twitter.

The payment is SIFA’s dividend to the government.

This is the first time SIFA is paying the 35% Dividend pursuant to the Public (Performance and Accountability) Bodies Act 2001, following the re-classification of SIFA from a Public Beneficial Body to a Public Trading Body by MPE in 2020.

A statement said SIFAs contribution to Government is not limited to this new requirement by way of its re-classification and now subject to payment of the 35% Dividend.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reported the Samoa 2040 Plan predicted a huge economic boost if the right investments were made.

This is the first time the government introduced a 20 year financial plan which identified the digital economy, labour mobility, agriculture and fisheries and tourism as four pillars to focus on.

However the government warned that achieving such gains would require the country to improve infrastructure, digital literacy and business capacity for e-finance and logistics.

The newly released 'Samoa 2040' report focuses on four broad areas: tourism, agriculture and fishing, developing the digital economy and labour mobility.

The report says labour mobility opportunities can be grown, pointing out that Tonga had half Samoa's population but double the number of seasonal workers overseas.

“It provides a valuable source of income for Samoan workers and their families and their communities and offers an opportunity to gain new experiences and training which can then be reinvested into Samoa's development,” it said.

Travellers originating or transiting through the two countries had previously been denied entry due to the new Covid-19 variants,but these measures now seem to have been eased.

The Samoa Observer reports that all travellers from these countries and a dozen others, hoping to get to Samoa will be assessed individually.

Passengers from all destinations except American Samoa are now required to have their medical clearance and negative Covid-19 swab test within 72 hours of their arrival to Auckland, and a blood test within five days of leaving their original port.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said on TV3 Samoa that there was a need to reconsider penalties of drug convictions.

His remarks follow a seizure last week at the wharf where Police confiscated 900 grams of methamphetamine.

A December bust found some 500 grams of the same drug, which the Ministry of Customs and Revenue said was a record haul for law enforcement.

"This is not a new issue and under the current law, it says that a fine (of) up to $100,000 (can be imposed). The key word is 'up to' meaning there can be no fine," Tuilaepa said.

TV1 Samoa reported the matter was raised in Parliament by government backbencher, Leā'anā Ronnie Posini.

He said it was heartening to know the government was looking at allowing students to attend the National University of Samoa for free.

He also said the government was looking at paying the salaries of all private school teachers.

Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi confirmed the MP's statements, saying it was something the government had been mulling on for a while.

At the virtual signing ceremony, Samoa’s Minister of Finance and ADB Governor Sili Epa Tuioti signed both grant agreements sourced from ADB’s Asian Development Fund.

The $10 million contingent disaster-financing grant will help strengthen Samoa’s resilience to disasters by natural hazards and health-related emergencies.

The project agreement with the Land Transport Authority, for the $40 million grant, which will fund the upgrade of one of Samoa’s most important roads, was signed by Minister of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure Tapunu’u Papaliitele Unasa Niko Lee Hang.

The Australian Red Balloon helicopter company has filed the action - for damage allegedly caused by the unlawful seizure and sale of the helicopter - against the ministry.

The claim is set for re-mention next Monday after a strike out motion by the attorney general against the matter was denied.

Red Balloon's helicopter was brought to Samoa by a third party in 2016 and hired for the filming of the Survivor TV series without the knowledge of the plaintiff.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reported the incumbent, Maiava Iulai Toma, who is one of the longest serving public servants, has been away for most of the year undergoing medical attention in New Zealand.

Deputy Ombudsman, Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli, has been acting in the role.

Maiava's previous positions included being Secretary to the Samoan Government, CEO of the Department of Prime Minister, Commissioner for Samoa to the South Pacific Commission, Samoa's Permanent Representative to the UN, and Ambassador to the US and High Commissioner to Canada.