Under pressure

Western Samoa

By Martin Tiffany

THE Western Samoan government is again under severe pressure. This time it could lead to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of his govern ment. Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana said he would have “no other alternative” but to resign if the findings of a commission of inquiry into his government went against him.

Many Western Samoans, especially

the opposition, feel the inquiry will confirm criticism of Alesana and his cabinet by that country’s chief auditor, Su’a Rimoni Ah Chong. In a report tabled in parliament in July, Ah Chong accused cabinet of unreasonable and

unsound decisions in com mitting public funds to Western Samoa’s debt-laden airline Polynesian Airlines.

In May, Western Samoa’s financial secretary, Sala Epa Tuioti, said the airline’s debt situation was so bad it could threaten the country’s econ omic stability. In a report, he said airline debts amounted to over WSS4S million, of which govern ment is liable for SUS2O million.

Tuioti said the debt was a result of “poor decisions” and it was “beyond the ability of Polynesian to reply and seriously impact the

country’s foreign currency

reserves”. Tuioti was asked to write the report by Poly nesian to help secure ad ditional guarantees of WSSI6.S million for a debt to Air Canada and to lease a Kuwait Air Boeing 767.

However, Tuioti’s report said if these guarantees were given the total of the debt and the guarantees would equal “nearly half of the present total foreign exchange reserves”.

Until 1992, Australian Airline Ansett managed Polynesian Airlines things looked better than with a profit, albeit a small one, being shown. In his report, Tuioti says the airline is losing around WS$3OO,OOO to W 55350,000 a week. He questioned the ability of the

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airline to service the W 5537.3 million non-operating debt that exists.

Basically, Tuioti said, to get the airline back on track its management and board needed to be changed and “not treat it (the airline) as a public service provided

for the common good”. In his July report to parliament, Chief Auditor Ah Chong also accused a number of cabinet minis ters of irregularities and possible corrup tion. In response to this the Prime Minister has appointed the Ombudsman, Maiava lulai Toma, to lead an inquiry into Ah Chong’s findings.

He stressed that no one could be proved

guilty until this inquiry was completed.

But said he would accept the

Ombudsman’s findings.

“If they point out that the PM was not doing his job, then OK, this is my resignation as head of state I move out,” said Alesana. Alesana’s govern ment is still reeling from a three-week protest in Apia in March against the Value-Added Goods and Services tax,

which was basically a pro test against the govern ment.

The estimated 10,000 protestors did not achieve the removal of the tax or the government, but many saw this as a victory for the protestors and a backing down by the government.

With anti-government feel ing still strong, the last thing Alesana and his gov ernment needs is the in quiry.

The opposition is mak ing the most of the situ ation as expected. They are criticising government, saying this is what they have been saying all along.

The opposition leader ap peared on New Zealand television criticising the doings of government.

Talking to TVS, he claimed ministers he did not name any had used government money for their own gain mainly by helping their business in terests building infra structure to help their busi ness interests and using their privileged position.

The opposition and the people of Western Samoa are waiting for the outcome of the Ombudsman’s in quiry. This could spell the end for Alesana and his government. As they say, watch this space. □

PM Tofilau Eti Alesana: resignation coming up?