By Staff Writer
Outspoken MP Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi believes the biggest challenges for the next Government after the general elections in 2021, are the uncertainties of the combined global economic and health crisis.
The Associate Minister of Communications is anxious at the rare challenges the next administration will be forced to take up going forward with the world in crisis.
Lealailepule is winding up his third consecutive term in Parliament and his future outlook is based on a personal summary of the 5-year term coming to an end.
“We started off on a successful footing but with the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic impact, we’re faced with a lot of challenges towards the end,” the Faleata West MP lamented.
“Climate change remains our biggest challenge in the region but the uncertainties of the combined global health and economic crisis are a major concern if it continues into the future.”
The MP is re-assured that for now Samoa is in a good financial position with the passing of the new national budget underway already for the July 2020 to June 2021 fiscal year.
He brushed away all fears of the Government going bankrupt with all the talk of a deficit during the recent budget debate in Parliament.
“We have 7 months coverage in our foreign exchange reserves and our revenues are still able to meet our basic needs for imports, public service salaries and others.
“The extra expenses we need are for our developments and that’s where soft loans and foreign assistance comes in – bankrupt is not the same as a budget deficit.”
Lealailepule also defended the Government stimulus packages and dividends payout to contributors from public funds like the Samoa National Provident Fund and others.
The recent disbursement of financial assistance that included the planned $50 to every person from babies up to the eldest in a family have riled up Government critics as blatant election campaigning.
“Every country is into doing that, look at the US and even New Zealand, we cannot compare what we’re giving out in our stimulus package to what they are doing.
“At the US and American Samoa they are injecting close to USD$2,000 for every individual in their stimulus packages.
“The only way to get the economy moving is to give the people money to spend and any country not doing that is a fool – look at the unemployment situation, without the stimulus package it is hard.”
The MP also underlined the situation as a global one with every country going through the same challenges.
He said the normal financial structures that are standard practice everyone is familiar with no longer functions.
“We now have to use common sense. Making profits is not the issue now, even commercial banks are now holding loan interests on many of the businesses and that’s not politics, it’s because of the situation we’re in.
“What people must understand is that now and then we face a crisis, either a health or economic crisis, but right now it’s a combination of the two – this is one in every 100 years from the way I see it.”
Lealailepule believes this is the nature of the main challenges ahead for the new in-bound Government after next year’s general elections.
He added that the challenges are different for every country including Samoa. All depends on the needs of each country and success in addressing them going forward as well as Government leadership.
“ What is needed is strong and consistent leadership, we have that advantage in Samoa and it shows in our stability.”
The MP conceded there are complaints about Samoa’s leadership and they are coming mostly from outside the country.
But he stands firmly in his belief and long political experience that for Samoans living in Samoa it is how they adjust and adapt to the situation that is the secret to success.”