High Price of Internet Services Cause Commotion in Parliament

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 14 March 2024 – The high price of local internet services created a commotion in Parliament yesterday when the Minister of Communications, Information & Technology, Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo responded to issues raised by the Opposition Members.

Opposition Leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi questioned why the prices of internet services in Samoa are so expensive.

He explained that he has been told by relatives in New Zealand that Starlink satellite connection rates are cheaper but Starlink is currently banned from Samoa in order to protect local service providers.

Tuilaepa also asked why internet prices through the three submarine cables connected to Samoa are so high. Then he urged the Minister to revisit the internet prices and what action the Regulator is doing about the internet prices.

“What is the Regulator doing about this?” Tuilaepa asked.

However, Opposition MP Leailepule Rimoni Aiafi differed saying in his view, internet prices in Samoa are much cheaper compared to New Zealand.

In response, Toelupe said the Submarine Cable which the previous Government under Tuilaepa outsourced to service providers impacted the prices.

Directing his comments to Tuilaepa, he said he had 40 years as an MP and 20 years in the leadership seat.

“I believe the country now understands why it was outsourced, it’s a business and run as a business…which means for us in the outer villages, without money, we can’t,” said the Minister.

“Masalo lea ua manino Samoa i le mafuaaga na ave ai i tua, o le pisinisi, ua faapisinisi le faiga o le tatou… o lona uiga o matou i tua, a leai se tupe, ia ua faapena,” said Toelupe.

Lealailepule reminded Parliament that besides Digicel and Vodafone, the Submarine Cable shareholders also include Government entities such as Samoa National Provident Fund (SNPF), Unit Trust of Samoa (UTOS) and Samoa Life Assurance Corporation (SLAC).

He also reminded the Minister that Samoa is well covered internet wise and it was already in place before the Minister’s time.

Connecting Samoa to the undersea submarine cable in October 2017.

The Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao took the floor and further explained the impact of the previous Government’s  decision to privatise the operation of the Submarine Cable.

“We are talking about the expensive prices of internet and the reason is, because the Government then privatised the Submarine Cable when they could have held on to operate,” said Laauli.

Laauli emphasized what they have been told then, that the Government had no capacity to run the Submarine Cable and that was the reason why Digicel and Vodafone were brought in and these companies determine the prices, not the Government.

Tuilaepa pointed out that that was the reason why the Office of the Regulator was established for them to set the prices.

Laauli said “ua uma na omai fai faatasi a o lea ua collude” and Tuilaepa countered by accusing the Minister of involvement in the Bluwave company that was paid $2m to provide internet services.

It was at this point that Leala intervened and started a shouting match with the Minister as the Speaker tried to calm things down.

The Minister of Health, Valasi Luapitofanua Tafito Togamaga then took the floor and pointed out Lealailepule was being rude then moved a motion to remove him from Parliament. After the Speaker asked for a seconder, the Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa took the floor and tried to calmed things down.

She noted how smooth the deliberations were from the morning over the Parliamentary Committee reports until then. She noted the need to focus on the important issues raised in the reports under discussion and urged both Cabinet Ministers and MPs to exercise patience and take note of words said as not only Parliament but the whole country is listening in to the proceedings.

Tuilaepa noted the importance of Fiame’s urging and he apologised followed by Laauli and Leala to the Speaker and Parliament.

The Speaker ordered the words uttered and name calling during the heated exchange were be removed from the Hansard.

When Parliament resumed this morning, Laauli pointed out that the accusations by the Leader of the Opposition about him being involved in the Bluewave Company and $2m tala for internet services are still in the record.

He moved a motion to remove the accusations from the Hansard if the Member cannot provide proof of his allegations.

The Speaker ordered the words be removed from Parliaments record.