Samoa’s new Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) government has announced plans to pass an emergency budget to ensure all public servants and government employees receive their salaries and unpaid overtime entitlements.
Samoa Observer reports that the one-day-old government has also promised to announce the 2025/2026 budget within 30 days.
Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt said the measure is urgent, as the current 25 percent interim budget has restricted payments since July.
“What is urgent at this time are the salaries of our public servants. Overtime cannot be paid at the moment,” Laaulialemalietoa said.
The new PM said instructions have already been given to the Ministry of Finance to immediately move forward with preparing an emergency budget.
Finance Minister Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo and her ministry are leading preparations for the emergency budget, which will provide immediate relief for overdue payroll obligations.
“The budget will be tabled in parliament within 30 days,” said Laauli. “It does not need to take the full 30 days, but the directive has already been issued to the Ministry of Finance to prepare it accordingly. By the second or third week of October, we should be able to return to the normal budget process.”
The interim budget has affected all government agencies. The Office of the Electoral Commission confirmed that staff who worked overtime during the general election and the District Court recount will be compensated, but payments will be released only in the next pay cycle.
Police officers, whose overtime payments were suspended in July, and nurses operating under reduced resources, are also set to receive overdue pay once the emergency budget is passed.
