Hard Going

For Mata'afa

From FELISE VA’A in Apia In Western Samoa, never has a new government been so severely criticised in parliament as the present Mata’afa government. When parlia ment opened in June, the govern ment’s nominations for the Business Committee were challenged and in the ballot lost three (75 per cent) of its candidates while the Opposition gained three. Also, its motion for the second reading of the Regional and Town Planning Bill was almost defeated.

When parliament reconvened in the first week of July, the Opposition pulled off a resounding victory, mar shalling enough votes to defeat a motion for the second reading of the Customs Order Amendment.

The amendment had all the appear ances of being an urgent one. At tached to it was a certificate of urgency from the Head of State and the Cabinet did its best to push it through.

If passed, the amendment would have raised the duty on biscuits, con fectionery, soap and detergents, cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, beer, spirits, brandy, wine, chinaware, glass ware, gramophones, jewellery, per fumes, furniture, boats, brooms and so on.

“Government considers that the in crease of import duties on certain commodities would have a two-way benefit in helping to ease our balance of payments situation,” Minister of Finance Sam Saili said.

“This would provide government with additional revenues, and the increases of import duty would act as an incentive towards greater use of certain commodities which are locally produced, such as biscuits, soaps, ornaments, and furniture, while at the same time reducing some of the demand on other luxury items which are making inroads into our overseas reserves.”

But that was all very well, argued the Opposition, but did it justify de priving a lot of Samoans of their jobs? The Samoa Times reported that 20 casual employees of the Transport Pool had to be dismissed because of the Public Works Department’s at tempts to save money. There were reliable reports that many other casual employees in the government had also been affected by the govern ment’s mad scramble to save money.

But was it worthwhile to save at the risk of starving some segments of the Samoan community?

The Opposition also maintained that the Minister of Finance, Sam Saili, before he became a minister, had strongly opposed any govern ment attempt to raise import duties.

Why had he done an about-face?

It argued that the country was no longer capable of absorbing further increases in living costs. Let the government find other measures of earning revenue.

Sail! had been one of the most outspoken critics of the Tamasese government’s increase of import duties (an increase which was nation

ally unpopular and hastened Tama sese’s downfall). Increases in the cost of living were all right if there was a corresponding increase in the people’s income. But, as a rule in Western Samoa income has tended to remain stable while the cost of living has skyrocketed.

The debate just before the final reading of the Supplementary Bill was a heated one with cabinet mem bers being sniped at from right, left and centre. The Minister of Finance was the most hard hit. At times, the exchanges became too personal.

A revolutionary fervour has taken hold of the Western Samoa Parlia ment.