By Staff Writer
Government is set to table the new national budget in Parliament this week on Tuesday 31 May 2022, the last day of the month.
The opposition HRPP party is placing a lot of interest in the budget allocations for direct cash handouts promised by Government in their general elections campaign to all the 51 electoral constituency districts.
Already confirmed are $200,000 provision reportedly held up over the controversial selection process of committee members per district demanded by Government.
Boastful claims by Government MPs in Parliament last week that a second handout of $1m tala for each constituency remains to be confirmed, in the new July 2022- June 2023 new budget.
“It’s easy for those doing these cash handouts to count out the money but our main worry is the struggles our national economy with the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic and the global economy,” HRPP deputy leader Fonotoe Lauofo Meti contemplated.
“Our budget deficit is also growing among other financial worries we raised at the tabling of the budget last year and the supplementary estimates at the beginning of this year.”
Fonotoe pointed to updated economic reports from the Central Bank and other local and international financial institutions as indicators of the many struggles the economy is trying to cope with.
HRPP Secretary Lealailepule Rimoni wondered if Government will follow up with a stimulus package recommended last March by the Central Bank of Samoa for local businesses.
“The series of pandemic lockdowns we went through had a telling effect on the business community, the public transport industry for instance came to a standstill,” Lealailepule reviewed.
“Buses and taxi owners for example were forced to enquire if it’s fair to demand periodic registration and licenses costs to be met, when the health lockdowns left the public transport industry at a standstill.”
Lealailepule reflected on how the previous HRPP Government struggled to minimise the cost of living to ease the financial load on electricity, water and other home requirement costs for families to meet.
This will be the FAST Government’s second national financial estimate since taking up office.