Businesses in Samoa owe government $ST61.6 million

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Samoa businesses owe the government $61.6 million tālā in unpaid taxes going back to 2017.

Samoa Observer reports this is documented in the Public Accounts Report for financial year 2018-2019.

A check of the 2017-2018 Public Accounts Report reveals the same amount was outstan during that period.

It is highlighted again in the Public Account report for 2018-1019, which was submitted to Parliament in February this year by the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti.

“Taxpayers Arrears amount of $61,679,565.48 which was reported in the Public Account 2017-2018 has been restated in this Public Account 2018-2019 to await confirmation from the Ministry for Revenue,” states the Public Account report.

Minister of Customs and Revenue, Tialavea Tinisio Hunt, last year said taxes owed by the business community to the Government had dropped from $100 million to $70 million tala.

“Three years ago (2016) the outstanding debts of uncollected taxes amounted to $100 million plus,” he said.

“Fast forward to now it has reduced 30 per cent. These are the taxes owed by the business community and we are doing everything we can to collect it.”

In July this year the M.C.R. celebrated two consecutive years of exceeding its revenue collection goals. And in acknowledging the challenges, the Ministry says the continued defiance of some Church Ministers on non-payment of taxes presented a challenge for them.

The set target for revenue collection for the 2019-2020 Financial Year was $527.7 million with the Ministry taking $551 million.