Bus Owner welcomes fee waiver

The owner of a public bus company has welcomed the decision by the Government to waive registration fees for six months as part of its stimulus package in response to the coronavirus global pandemic.

Leanapapa Lucky Anderson, who owns the Leanapapa Anderson’s Bus Company known locally as Aiaiava, told Samoa Observer in a telephone interview that the waiver is a welcome relief for his business.

“I’m now happily using that budget (for those months) to feed my family and for the time being,” he said.

However, the businessman urged the Government to go one step further and cover the losses that companies make due to COVID-19.

Effective Tuesday April 14 commercial buses that paid their registration renewal fees for March 2020 will be exempted from paying for June, September and December 2020. And those that are yet to pay for March 2020 will not be charged fees for March, June and September this year.

Commercial taxi services have been given similar reprieves in the Government’s stimulus package. Those companies that paid their registration fees last month are exempted from paying their September and March 2021 fees, and the fees are waived for the months of March and September this year for those who are yet to pay their March 2020 fees.

In measures passed unanimously by the Parliament last Tuesday, the Government passed stimulus measures targeting consumers to the value of $27.5 million tala, which includes a one-off pension payment of $300 and waivers on utility bills. 

About $12.5 million tala or 20 per cent of the budget was dedicated to the private sector and included waivers on Samoa National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F.) contributions for tourism businesses for up to six months, as well as local production subsidies that free local enterprises from loan repayment obligations for three months. 

The LTA has advised in a public notice that all vehicles have to be taken to the LTA offices at Vaitele and Salelologa for mandatory inspection prior to the issuing of a W.O.F. sticker.