The reclassification status of Samoa due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been cited by the leader of the HRPP.
Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi also expressed concerns pertaining to the drastic drop in the gross domestic product.
He said Samoa graduated as one of the least developing countries in 2014 under their administration.
“Samoa is re-classified now as a Middle-Income level Country. Our GDP rose to $2.2 billion dollars and now it has fallen sharply by a record 10%.
The worst is yet to come,” he said in a letter to the Editor.
Adding that due to the rising in cost of living and the shortages of essential commodities, the leader of the Human Rights Protection Party says the people need to be encouraged more and more to do what they can to lessen the impact of these challenges on our daily lives.
“Our chiefs and orators in the villages together with religious leaders can do a lot more with the government providing the necessary leadership to effectively develop huge acreages of uncultivated customary lands where opportunities are endless.
“Plantation access roads, electricity and water supplies have been greatly improved over the past 40 years, and our people’s income has also risen to warrant the UN decision to remove Samoa from the list of least developed countries in 2014.”
Adding, the current Government cannot continue to blame the high cost of living on the war in Ukraine and the consequential increases in the costs of fuel and do nothing.
“The Minister of Agriculture and Village Mayors should get busy promoting our own traditional free-range chicken farms, piggery, taro growing inspections, etc, etc, etc at the village communities.”
He said the Atoa o Samoa executive talks that concluded on Friday is a good move in the right direction.
“These meetings between the leaders and officials of the two Samoa raise hopes for all of us that something positive is about to happen. “Preliminary Agreement to ease travel from Samoa to American Samoa subject to some unspecified conditions has been announced.
“With 8 more months to go of 60 years of celebrations, some real actions should begin to appear by July 2023.”
He also pointed to the $1 million per district that members of the public are still waiting on for every year for 5 years to solve every problem in life.
“$200,000 tālā of the first mid-year has been released and the balance of $800,000 tālā for the first year is yet to be clarified. “Our people are also human. When $1million tālā is promised to be given to each district every year, many think there is no more need to work.
“And when they are asked to celebrate for a whole year, our people also respond positively until the reality of modern life wakes them up. This is called an experience of a lifetime, and experience is learning by mistakes,” said Tuilaepa.
