W. Samoa Govt. Sticks Its Neck Out

From FELISE VA’A in Apia

The Western Samoa Government has set the country by the ears with two new measures—an increase in import duties to offset losses through the abolition of export duties, and a bill to restrict the sale of freehold land to aliens.

The import duty increase has raised public blood pressure as never before and, coming as it does when the country is beginning to ponder over its choice in the coming general elec tion, poses the query: Is the govern ment deliberately committing hara kiri?

It recently granted a 5 per cent, salary increase to its public servants and has now increased import duties on a number of important items, pre sumably to offset any loss in govern ment money. What the government seemed to have forgotten was that the 5 per cent, salary increase did not affect the rest of the population and in no time public anger against the new measures was evident.

Public opposition to the new duties was first of all shown in the letters to the editor, both English and Samoan, which appeared in the editions of the “Samoa Times”. Then during early August, a citizens’ meet ing attended by nearly 500 was held at the Mothers’ Centre, Apia, to dis cuss sending a delegation to parlia ment to petition for removal of the duty increases, which were felt to have been responsible for the latest

rise in living costs. The petition was rejected.

Realising the unpopularity of the new measures, the Minister of Finance, Tofa Siaosi, tabled a paper in parliament explaining that the new duties were needed to offset the loss in government revenues caused by the abolition of export duties; that they were needed to protect local industry.

“Most increases are on products that can be produced locally and are aimed at encouraging local production and industry. Other increases involve tobacco items, radios, motor-cycles and high-priced motor cars,” the minister said.

The new import duties affect items such as biscuits, cabin or ships’ bread, fresh and frozen eggs, fresh and frozen fish, fruits, honey, ice cream, fresh or frozen meat, mutton flaps, fresh and preserved vegetables, cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, clothing, drapery, radios, motor cycles and cars. Increases range from 10 per cent, to 15 per cent.

The biggest increases are on motor cycles, 65 per cent. Commonwealth preferential and 65 per cent, general, and motor vehicles, 65 per cent. CP and 65 per cent. G for the first SWSI,OOO cif, thereafter 100 per cent.

CP and 100 per cent. G.

Concerning the import duties, the “Samoa Times” argued: “We feel . . . that the move to increase import duties does not necessarily mean we

would get cheaper goods that have been produced locally. The other possibility is far more likely: the merchants will take advantage of this loophole to bring the prices of local goods up to the level of imported goods, if for no other good reason than bigger profits”.

The government, however, has frozen the price of mutton flaps and pilchards, abolished the radio licence fee and confined increases in car im port duty mainly to the posh sedan types.

One class which could be counted as pleased with the new measures is the planter who now pays no duty on his fruit exports. And, it’s a con siderable sum, for a small country— s36o,ooo which the government hopes to get back through the larger import duties and more income tax which, theoretically, will flow from the planters’ greater production.

Perhaps with large overseas de velopment companies in mind and the price to which land in Fiji has rocketed creating tempting, affluent visions, landowners and merchants are looking askance at the new Alienation of Freehold Land Bill which was passed by a comfortable majority.

At least one merchant has said he might challenge the bill in court.

Urging control of land sales to prevent ownership passing to out siders, Minister of Lands Polataivao Fosi said that already there was a report that 100 acres had been sold to an alien.

The Bills Committee had actually recommended that the bill be referred back to the government for recon sideration. The chairman of the Bills Committee, Ulugia Suivai, said there was a possibility the bill might be unconstitutional as the constitution guaranteed citizens the rights over their lands.

The committee’s recommendation to return the bill to the government, however, was rejected by 31-8.

Subsequent amendments were also defeated. These included one by Tofilau L. Eti to remove the word “resident” from “resident citizen”, making it possible for all citizens, resi dent or not, to purchase land without any government-imposed restrictions.

Another was to exempt those work ing overseas for the government or privately as well as students from the residency requirement of years before land could be bought. A move by Taulapapa Faimaala to reduce the residency requirement to three months was also beaten.