Deputy Prime Minister issues statement on pertinent issues

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Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio has defended the temporary halt on the seasonal work, which has been highly criticized, but said the safety of the Samoan people is paramount to the government.
“The temporary suspension of trips scheduled for Seasonal Workers for the month of January 2023 remains in effect, as the Cabinet subcommittee appointed to look into relevant policies and processes governing the seasonal worker programmes aims to complete its report and present to Cabinet before the end of this month.
“There is no doubt that the seasonal worker programmes continue to be a significant development mechanism for our people and our country.”
The Deputy Prime Minister said like anything else, there are challenges and areas that must be addressed to ensure the programme is well managed and sustained going forward.
In addition, the welfare of the workers from Samoa is an important component of these programmes that cannot be overlooked.
These factors have been taken into account in the work of the Cabinet subcommittee.