The Samoa Government will move to repeal the Customs and Revenue tax laws that legalises the taxation of Church Ministers that are serving in the villages.
The Minister of Customs and Revenue, Tuala Ponifasio has been instructed to conduct consultation with Church Ministers, as stipulated under the law, when there are amendments, consultations must be conducted.
The change was announced by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
The taxing of Church Ministers was approved into law in 2018, under the HRPP Administration.
All other denominations heeded the law and church ministers opted to pay their taxes, while the Congregational Christian Church stood their ground and refused to follow suit.
This led to the charging of Ministers from the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa, in 2019, however the case was dismissed before the Court as the basis there was no evidence.
This is one of the manifesto’s of the Faatuatua file Atua Samoa ua Tasi promised to deliver once they took office it to remove the taxing of church ministers.
There are 614 Church Ministers of all denominations across the Country.
