Samoa has received $33.3 million in total of grants from donor partners in September 2020, an increase of $18.7 million compared to September 2019.

However, it went down by $62.4 million compared to the previous quarter June 2020 which was $95.7 million. 

This was highlighted in a report titled, “Government Finance Statistics” for the September quarter, 2020 issued by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics. 

According to the report, it states that the total revenue collection for the September Quarter 2020 stood at $189.7 million. 

This comprises of tax collections contributing to $127.1 million which accounts for 67.0 per cent of the overall revenue total.

However, 17.5 per cent or $33.3 million was from grants received.

In the Other Revenue category it recorded $29.4 million which is equivalent to 15.5 per cent of total revenue. 

“Revenue collected during the quarter went up by $12.6 million (7.1 per cent) on a yearly basis, however, it went down when compared to June 2020 quarter by $49.2 million (or down by 20.6 per cent),” reads the report.

It also added that tax revenue for the quarter under review amounted to $127.1 million; it went down by 11.3 per cent (or $16.2 million) compared to the September 2019 quarter.

Furthermore, taxes on goods and services and international trade contributed 10.1 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively to the overall decrease in taxes.

While taxes on income, profits and capital gain went up by 4.2 per cent or $1.3 million compared to the corresponding quarter of 2019; however it was not enough to reflect an improvement in tax collection for the quarter.

The Non-tax revenues stood at $29.4 million for the review period. When compared to September 2019 quarter, it increased by 52.5 per cent which accounted for a $10.1 million growth within the period. 

However, Property Income such as dividends from State owned Enterprises contributed the most to the overall outturn for other revenues.