Samoan police officers involved in extra-marital affairs are in the focus of Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi. Speaking at a police graduation ceremony the Prime Minister said the Police Commissioner had yet to fully implement his decision last year to weed out at least one half of police ‘couples’ in the force. He is giving Commissioner Fuiavailili Read more
The claim by the General Secretary of the Congregational Christian church (EFKS) Church, Reverend Vavatau Taufao, about the Government bringing back the colonialism mentality sounds like something a fa’afafine would say. That’s what Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said, in response to the General Secretary in the ongoing tax dispute between the Government and Read more
This week a bill was rushed through the Samoan parliament exempting monetary gifts (alofa) received by ministers during funerals, weddings and other traditional occasions from the new taxes. The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) General Secretary, Vavatau Taufao, said the changed section should never have been a part of the law. Taufao said the Prime Read more
The Catholic Church and the Methodist Church in Samoa have said that they accept a new law requiring their ministers to pay tax. But at a recent general assembly, the leaders of the Congregational Christian Church (CCCS) said they would ignore the law. In a speech in parliament, the prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi praised the Read more
The stand-off between the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS/EFKS) and the Samoan government over taxation is getting worse. The General Assembly (Fonotele) of the church has rejected outright the government’s new law which imposes taxes on all church ministers. One speaker at the Fonotele has gone so far as to predict that Government’s decision Read more
Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi says the new tax laws apply to the church ministers individually, not the church as a whole. Documents leaked to the Samoa Observer show that the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) will not observe a law requiring all church ministers to pay income tax. According to the Read more
Samoa Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has revealed that he threatened the council of churches with a proposed new law which would close the country down completely every weekend to allow Christians to keep the Sabbath holy. Continue reading
In 2012, when Samoa celebrated 50 years of independence, Victoria University awarded an honorary doctorate to Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, Samoa’s longest serving prime minister. The citation noted that Tuila’epa had “presided over the most politically and economically stable and successful small democratic country in the Pacific”. “He is, quite simply, the most successful, the most Read more
Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi says family planning is wrong. He believes Samoa needs a bigger population. So he is encouraging people to have more children to increase the population and among other things to provide “fast and strong boys for Manu Samoa.” He said he wonders who the idiot who came up with Read more
A Samoan governance expert says there is a danger a bill to make Samoa a Christian state could undermine freedom of religion in the country. The bill, which had its second reading last week, was widely supported by Parliament. The 2016 Explanatory Memorandum attached to Constitutional Amendment Bill (No. 2) says the government wants to Read more