The heavy presence of hard drugs in the Country was one of the issues raised in Parliament on Tuesday.
Member of Parliament for Aleipata Itu i Lalo, Faleomavaega Titimaea Tafua expressed concerns over the demand to have strict precautionary measures on the protection of borders, given the increase of the presence of hard drugs in the Country.
His comments on the floor is in response to $21 million first supplementary budget for financial year 2021-2022 deliberated in Parliament.
Faleomavaega appealed to the Minister of Police and Prisons Faualo Harry Schuster to consider bring in more Canine dogs that can detect drugs in parcels entering Samoa.
According to Faleomavaega, there are only two Canine dogs work for five hours, around the clock and if there are any parcels received outside of those hours, it opens the doors for drugs to enter undetected.
HIs comments were made during the deliberations of the
Adding that it is should be a priority of the Ministry to seek assistance from the New Zealand Government for Canines to assist with border protection.
He commended the Ministry of Police for their handwork in nabbing drug dealers and users, to keep Samoa safe.
The police conducted three separate drugs raids, in Vaitele Fou, Nu’u and Faatoia. All three drugs, police uncovered drugs including ice, marijuana, guns, live ammunitions and money among drugs paraphernalia.
One of the raids landed the Assistant Electoral Commissioner, Afualo Darryl Mapu behind bars with his colleague, Marie Fanueli to await their appearance in the Supreme court for criminal mention.
During his first speech before Parliament, Faleomavaega pointed to the significant fees charged by the Samoa Water Authority.
He said the $75 tala reconnection fee for disconnected water and 75 percent of the mandatory payment of the water bill, once its disconnected, should be reconsidered.
These fees are quite significant and the low income families that cannot afford it and appealed to Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure Olo Fiti Vaai, to put it on his priority list to consider reducing these fees.
Another issue the MP raised is claims the overseas companies are “cheating” the seasonal workers working for them.
“The Government should look at the contract signed between the seasonal workers and the companies,” said the MP.
He did not go into details as to what way the overseas companies are “cheating” the samoan workers overseas.