$86.4M Available for 48 Districts Development Projects

Apia, SAMOA – 17 February 2026 – $86.4 million tala is now available for district development projects after forty-eight (48) out of 51 districts signed the project Funding Agreements with the Ministry of Women and Social Development yesterday. The funds must be expended before the next budget is due in June.

According to Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt who delivered the keynote address encouraged the District Councils to be vigilant in using the funds for the benefit of their respective districts and people.

He emphasized that the District Development Project is a new concept that is still being trialed and when it started in 2021, districts launched their projects on different timelines.

Signing and starting together
The signing yesterday of 48 districts Funding Agreements gives the opportunity for districts to start on development projects together.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt encouraged the District Councils to be vigilant in using the funds for the benefit of their respective districts and people.

“It is the first time such gathering of all districts has happened and this is an opportunity to share, ask questions and clarify matters so we can all start together for the benefit of all districts and the whole of Samoa,” said the Prime Minister.

However, three districts facing major internal issues have yet to sign and their projects will be delayed.

The districts are Fa’asaleleaga 2, Siumu and Anoama’a 1.

The Government discontinued and closed the Fa’asaleleaga 2 project due to major internal issues that resulting in threats and defamatory remarks made against the PM and Government and the issues are being sorted.

The Anoama’a 1 district which is the district of the Minister in charge of the project, is also facing internal politically driven differences and Siumu needs to have their District Development Plan approved before they are entitled to signing the funding agreement.

The internal issues hinge around political opposition. The Prime Minister emphasized that the opposing districts stand to lose out; and he told the gathering of District Councils yesterday that only through the project that the Government can derive benefits for the districts, not the opposition.

Co-Chairs of the Faasaleleaga 3 District Development Project being congratulated by the Minister of Finance after signing their Funding Agreement.

Tightening the Funding Agreement
Due to major issues arising from the use of previous funding under the project, 18 changes have been made to strengthen the agreement and to protect the misuse of funds.

So far, 25 districts have yet to submit their final financial and acquittal reports of the previous funds expenditure and there are investigations into the alleged misuse of funds during last years election campaign.

The Attorney General, Mauga Precious Chang clarified the major changes in the guidelines in order to protect the funds that now remain in the property of government.

18 changes have been made and some of the changes include:

• Closure of an agreement through a written submission
• Conditions for distribution of fund
• Ban on using funds for election campaign
• One audit report for the financial year 2024/2025 and 2025/2026.
• District Councils to register any threats why funds are not allocated to plans provided on a quarterly basis
• Agreement to withhold account so the Bank can rely on the Ministry of Women Social Development to withhold an account without confirmation from the District Council.
• Removal of funds from accounts if confirmed used in corrupt practises & law to handle it.

Co-Chairs for Vaa o Fonoti after signing infront of the Minister of Finance and Minister of the District Development Project.

Release of $150 back-to-school fund postpone
The Prime Minister announced the Government’s decision to postpone the distribution of the $150 back to school package until after the by-election next week.

$32M tala will be utilized from the District Councils funds for the $150 tala per person back to school package.

Laauli said while the funds are now available, distributing $150 now can be interpreted as an election campaign with two by-elections taking place on 27 February 2026.

Meanwhile, the distribution of $150 per person will be used to calibrate and confirm the country’s population as the population grew extensively through double dipping when $50 tala was distributed per person as part of the digital ID project in 2019.

Both the Electoral Rolls and current Census results will be used for the $150 tala back to school distribution, and the population data will be collected by each District Council.