Dear Editor,

Ladies and gentlemen, addressing corruption in the government is the real issue e.g. OPC Report 2010. 

Interestingly, I find PS Jeffery’s version of reality twisted and political and lacks empathy like a real human, but we should expect that from intelligent people living comfortably somewhere in the town area. 

Money is not becoming more important Mr. Jeff, money is always an integral part of life everywhere even in the villages. 

That’s why Samoans in Samoa receive hundreds of millions of dollars in remittances from Samoans living overseas every year, they needed monetary support. 

You’re too naive to think that money is more important to people living in Apia than the villages. Reality check, Samoa is a modern country in a modern world with modern amenities like electricity and consumer goods... And guess what?

They expect payment of services and consumer goods with money, not taro or fish. You’re very comfortable living through a lie, just like how you happily quoted the majority getting by living subsistent lifestyles...in a modern world...wow!!! 

If “a big slice of the population don’t even pay income tax (no job)” it’s about time you bow to humility. Remittance is the lifeblood of the majority of the population. 

Why? You said it yourself Jeff...“a big slice of the population don’t even pay income tax (no job)”. 

Failure of government policies, corruption by government officials and incompetence of government leaders, that’s why the majority of the population of approximately 180,000 people don’t have paying jobs. 20% of budget 2015/16 is made up of foreign aid money, the economy is boosted by hundreds of millions of dollars from remittances. 

That’s the only reason why there’s no third world poverty in Samoa when “a big slice of the population don’t even pay income tax (no job)”. That’s also why Stui can’t see physical evidence of poverty in Samoa. 

According to his intellectual mind a sign of poverty is children running around butt naked like some African countries. Families-families-families, we are helping our families and that money (Remittances) is helping create a lot of opportunities for people to improve their lives and even “put roofs over their heads”. 

It has nothing to do with a corrupt government and its failed policies e.g. OPC Report 2010. Fa’amalo atu i Alo o Tupu ma Tamali’i o Samoa o aumau i atunu’u ese mo le lima foa’i ma le tautuaina lea o tatou aiga fa’apea lo tatou atunu’u peleina o Samoa.

Le Mafa P