Australia helps strengthen Samoa’s fight against financial crimes

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 3 November 2026 – Two consultants from Israel, Professor Doron Goldbarsht and Mr. Yehuda Shaffer are assisting Samoa with the preparation of her mutual evaluation report for the Asia /Pacific Money Laundering.

With the support of the Australian Government, the week-long high-level consultations and technical assistance is aimed at strengthening Samoa’s preparations for its upcoming Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorism Financing and Counter-Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) Mutual Evaluation in 2027.

The consultation brings together Chief Executive Officers, senior government officials, law enforcement agencies, financial regulators and international experts to assess Samoa’s readiness for this important international evaluation.

The Central Bank Governor, Maiava Atalina Auelua welcome remarks reinforced the importance of collective responsibility, institutional cooperation and strong national leadership in preparing Samoa for the evaluation.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt delivered the keynote address and emphasised the Governments commitment to protecting Samoa’s financial system and strengthening the country’s response to financial crime.

“Samoa is no longer isolated, and we need to safeguard Samoa from all challenges,” he said.

He highlighted that Samoa’s preparations must be a whole-of-government effort, with every relevant ministry and agency contributing to the country’s readiness.

“Samoa’s preparedness is a national responsibility, and the success of the evaluation depends on government institutions working together,” he said.

“Samoa is a small country with a population of about 200,000 people and we need to address such challenges,” he said.

Cabinet has endorsed the joint leadership of the Attorney General and the Governor of the Central Bank of Samoa in coordinating the preparations, reflecting the importance the Government places on this exercise.

He said the Government relies on CEOs for advice and recommendations and “if they know there are policies and laws that need to be changed for the betterment of Samoa, do it,” he said.

A collective responsibility
Security and protection of Samoa is a collective responsibility of all Government personnel to be treated as a calling.

“It is for your people, your generation to come and ask yourself what you can prepare for your children in the future,” he said.

He then urged Maiava and the Attorney General Mauga Precious Chang to ensure all CEO’s and appropriate persons for the session are in the room.

“Put your hearts and minds together and come serve the country. There is no more room for argument, but it is time to consolidate and cooperate,” he said.

The Attorney General expressed sincere appreciation to the Australian Government for its continued partnership and assistance.

“We are extremely grateful to the Government of Australia for standing alongside Samoa in this important work. This assistance is not simply about preparing us for an international assessment. It is about strengthening our institutions, improving our laws and building the capacity of our people to respond effectively to financial crime.

“Money laundering and transnational crime do not recognise national borders. Our response must therefore be equally strong, coordinated and supported by international cooperation.

“We have a great deal of work ahead of us, and the preparation will certainly keep all our agencies busy. But this is important work, and the benefits will extend well beyond the Mutual Evaluation itself,” the Attorney General said.

She also acknowledged the commitment of the Governor of the Central Bank, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Chief Executive Officers of the participating agencies.

“The Office of the Attorney General and the Central Bank cannot undertake this work alone as it requires every relevant government agency to take ownership of its responsibilities,” she said.

She said their greatest strength will be their ability to work together, share information and demonstrate that Samoas systems are not only supported by strong laws but are effective in practice.”

Samoa is also undertaking significant legislative reforms to strengthen its legal framework for combating money laundering, recovering proceeds of crime, facilitating international cooperation and addressing serious criminal offences.

These reforms complement the wider institutional and operational improvements required to meet international standards established by the Financial Action Task Force.

The Mutual Evaluation will be conducted through the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and will examine both Samoa’s technical compliance with international standards and the effectiveness of its national AML/CFT systems.