Customs Revenue Collection Exceeds 1st Quarter Target by $11M

Leapagatele Mila Mavaeao/

Apia, SAMOA – 07 November 2026 — Recent Government efforts to streamline and strengthen improve revenue collection using ASYCUDA – the Automated System for Customs Data has contributed to a strong revenue collection by the Ministry of Customs.

Cabinet this week endorsed the Ministry’s Quarterly Report for the first quarter of the 2026/2027 Financial Year, recording a massive revenue surplus of $11.1 million tala.

The official figures released by the Government Press Secretariat highlighted that the Ministry collected $137.2 million tala between July and September 2026.

This outstanding performance exceeded the projected target of $126.1 million by $11.1 million, marking an impressive 8.8% growth above fiscal expectations.

The statement said Cabinet noted that this financial achievement strongly highlights the resilience, adaptability, and fundamental strength of Samoa’s domestic economy at the start of the new financial year.

Back-to-Back Surplus Rejects “Shrinking Economy” Narrative
The latest Customs report arrives as a direct counter-argument to Opposition claims and media narratives suggesting a shrinking economy.
The government’s fiscal momentum was further solidified by a parallel updated financial statement from the Ministry of Revenue.

In its own First Quarter performance review submitted to Cabinet last week, the Ministry of Revenue revealed it collected $83.5 million in the period —surpassing its projected targets by $1 million.

Parliamentary Data Confirms Healthy Economic Outlook
The latest Financial Update tabled by the Prime Minister in Parliament 27 October records a sustained this solid cash position above the SAT$500million mark since 2023/24.

FY2025/26 Budget Outturn:
Total revenue collected by 30 June 2026 amounted to SAT$1.06 billion – a slight decline compared to SAT$1.11 billion collected in FY2024.25 and SAT$1.16 billion collected in FY2023/24 with 78.7% attributed to taxes. (Table 1 Statement of Government Operations, Bureau of Statistics Bulletin.

This is the third financial year in a row that the Government has achieved total receipt/revenues collection above the SAT$1.0 billion mark.

In terms of Expenditures, a total of SAT$906.8 million was recorded for FY2025/26, a decrease compared to SAT$955.7 million recorded for FY$2024/25 and an increase compared to SAT$853.6 million documented for FY2023/24.

While overall surplus has declined slightly, the budget outturn for FY$2025/26 is a surplus of SAT$149.6 million.

Declining Public Debt as at June 2026
The Public Debt as at the end of FY2025/26 stood at SAT$690.8 million, made up of SAT$641.0 million external debt and SAT$49.8 million domestic debt.

As a percentage of GDP (Nominal SAT$3.56 billion) was recorded at 19.3%, way below the 50% public debt to GDP ratio threshold.

Gross Domestic Product as at June 2026
As at June 2026, nominal GDP was recorded at SAT$3.582 billion, a slight 0.1% decline compared to SAT$3.585 billion achieved in FY2024/25 and an increase compared to SAT$3.241 billion achieved in FY2023/24.

Real GDP was recorded at SAT$2.551 billion, declining by 1.6 percent compared to SAT$2.593 billion in FY2024/25 and an increase compared to FY2023/24.

The decline is attributed to subdued economic activity in the September and March quarters of FY2025/26, mainly driven by negative performance in the Commerce industry and the impacts of the fuel crisis on other key industries including Transport, Construction and Manufacturing.