Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 13 March 2026 – Parliament last night passed the District Development Act 2026 which will administer the $2 Million Development Project for each of the 51 electoral constituencies starting in July 2026.

The legislation is the first major Bill tabled and passed by the ruling FAST Government six months since taking office and debated and passed under the urgency process of parliament.

The Act will establish the Authority as a separate entity from the Ministry of Women and Social Development that ran the project since its inception in 2021.

The District Development Project decentralizes the identification, design and management of projects by the villages targeting priority areas to meet their social and economic needs.

It is the central project that encapsulates the FAST Party’s vision, allocating $1M tala a year to each of 51 constituencies designed to lift the country’s economic development and standard of living. The Authority will disburse and manage $102 Million tala for 51 districts a year or  $510M for village social and economic development for five years.

The Act has been established with strengthened governance arrangements and safeguards for the use and reporting of public funds expended under the project.

The District Development Authority is to provide for consequential institutional and transitional matters that will look to repeal the Internal Affairs Act 1995 and to amend the Ministry of Women Affairs Act 1990.

The Act also guides the appointment of the Board of Authority and their functions, the Chief Executive Officers and the Steering Committee.

It also highlights the role of the council, operating costs, revenues, appointment of council members and the eligibility of members.

One of the highlights of the Act is the restrictions during the election period or six months before a general election and bars Councils from entering into new contracts until the election is over and a new government is formed.

It emphasises that no council member must pay any grant money to any person during the election period unless the payment is for operation costs and is endorsed by the Authority.

During the debate of the Bill, the Opposition MPs were vocal in accusing the Government of being biased in the appointment of District Councils Chairpersons.

They argued that the Government should follow the Project Operating Manual (POM) implemented in 2021 where the chairpersons were Members of Parliament (MP).

The POM has since changed based on the numerous findings since the project began in 2021.

Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said that the Bill will eventually be passed given the FAST have the majority in the House, however, the Government should recognise the MPs as official representatives of the 51 districts.

The Act will come into effect on 1^st July 2026.