A total of $1.6 million has been appropriated to the salaries of Members of Parliament which were back paid to April and May of the last financial year.
The budget was tabled on Tuesday in Parliament.
Minister of Finance, Mulipola Annarosa Ale-Molioo said in Parliament, they have now reached the halfway mark for the current financial year and its first financial year for the new Government under the leadership of the FAST Party.
They have witnessed a truly challenging year with the continued spread and evolution of the COVID19 over the course of the past 21 months since the borders have been closed,which has devastated the country’s Tourism industry – one of our country’s biggest income earners.Further, this year has also seen a new Government take the helm for Samoa following the conclusion of the April General Elections.
Mulipola said that under the FAST administration a total of $4 million has been allocated for Samoa Water Authority and Electric Power Corporation for community service obligations to assist the Authority and Corporation in the implementation of capital works for communities who require the essential services.
Other expenditures to be covered under the first supplementary is the $7,918 for staff salary adjustments, as per Public Service Commission approval. Another proposed allocation is $830,402 for the lease in Otahuhu New Zealand.
This is to recover finances of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for the purchase of the land and facilities at Otahuhu which currently serve as a marketplace for agricultural exports from Samoa.
The arrangement is a lease with the ACC and is paid monthly.
There is also $320,000 allocated for the VIP vehicles which was were originally meant to be appropriated, under the Second Supplementary for the past fiscal year 2020-2021.
However due to the delays in the announcement of the new Parliament the Second Supplementary was cancelled and focus was directed at the new Main Estimates 2021-2022.
These vehicles are to be housed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be used to host and transport visiting Heads of States and dignitaries.
Furthermore a total of $13,879 the additional expenditure for the salary of the stated personnel to cover only the remaining months of the current fiscal year; furthermore close to $200,000 for the first secretary in Canberra, a nominated officer is expected to take up this new post soon and the provision are to cover personnel costs associated with their relocation to the Mission Office in Canberra, Australia.
