By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The Minister of Revenue, Tialavea John Hunt, has no regrets at income tax imposed on church ministers or ‘faifeau’ and the angry reaction emerging from faith followers as an election backlash against Government.
He accepts that it is not easy going against something that is entrenched in a tradition he grew up in of giving to the ‘faifeau’ but the heart of his job is to collect revenue.
Angry EFKS ‘faifeau’ alleged by public complaints to be urging village congregations to vote out the ruling HRPP Government in the General Elections is a non-issue for the Minister.
“ My sworn duty as Minister of Revenue is to collect the funds needed for national developments to benefit everyone,” Tialavea reacted unwaveringly.
He was also resolute against the protest argument that the ‘faifeau alofa’ or income is a collective offering by congregation members from personal earnings already taxed.
“The Ministry of Revenue will claim income tax on money you have in hand as earned revenue regardless of where it came from that’s the law.
“But for the ‘faifeau tax’ only those who earned above the $15,000 threshold are required to pay income taxes.
“More than 60 per cent of all the ‘faifeau’ earn below the threshold so they are not paying any income taxes.”
Tialavea added emphasis on the ‘just and fair’ factor that shows everyone contributes wherever they can to meet the needs of the country.
The Head of State is now paying income tax the same as the ‘faifeau’ under the new changes in the tax law that came into effect in January 2018.
“Our current national budget of $900m is made up of $600m collected inside the country and $300m in grants and soft terms loans from our overseas donor partners.
“The high trust level our donor partners have in Government makes it easier for them to grant assistance we ask for.
“The taxing of our Head of State and the ‘faifeau’ is one way we earn their trust by seeing that we are making every effort to help ourselves.”
Tialavea underlined the serious decision-making process donor partners make to be convinced before they agree to grant any assistance.
Trust in Government leadership and good policies are key factors.
The Minister, however, has nothing to say about the ‘faifeau’ who are preaching to the church faithful to change the Government.
“I don’t know what policies the churches have so I don’t have an answer for that unless maybe it has to do with political parties putting pressures on the faifeau or some other reasons.
“Whatever political party the ‘faifeau’ supports that is a matter of choice but as far as I’m concerned, my job is to collect the revenues to pay for the developments the people of Samoa needs.”
Tialavea confirmed more than $600 thousand tala collected so far from the ‘faifeau tax’ since it was imposed going on four years now in 2018.
Since the dissolution of Parliament of Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister is now on a caretaker role, to await the new Government after the general elections.