It is good to see another party policy in the manifesto of the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) has been tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

In the lead-up to the last general election in April 2021, the FAST rolled out its party manifesto to the public and eligible voters through multiple roadshows on both Upolu and Savai’i, promising a new era in political leadership with policies that were more people and community-centred. 

One of those policies is the current Government’s SAT$1 million District Development Project grant, which is allocated to each of the 51 constituencies to fund community-based projects and will be into its second year after the 2023-24 Budget is passed by the Parliament.

Late last week the Government tabled another FAST party-linked policy from its manifesto, this time a $2 million fund for people with disability, which would see each one of them receive a $100 monthly allowance. Under the proposal, people living with disability have to register their names with the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development (MWCSD) and submit a confirmation report from either a doctor or a church minister in order to qualify. The monthly allowance will be distributed through the payment system that the Samoa National Provident Fund (SNPF) currently uses for its pensioners located throughout the country. Anyone who is born with disabilities in Samoa is entitled to the benefit until they reach 65 years of age when they switch to their pension. 

We commend the current Administration for moving to get this party policy realised through the $2 million fund – as it will go a long way in giving this marginalised group of citizens hope – while boosting the spirit of inclusivity in a country where there are still hurdles to overcome such as discrimination and stigma.

And getting bipartisan support for such an initiative on the floor of Parliament is a sign of a maturing democracy, which is why the Opposition Leader Lauofo Pierre Lauofo should be commended for expressing support for the initiative.

While it is a great initiative, it appears there are still teething problems with Lauofo questioning how the monthly allowance will be disbursed to those who qualify. 

"It's good that we now have this proposed legislation to guide how the money will be distributed and all the other conditions for those who are entitled and the requirements," said Lauofo. "But we need a report on how the $2 million is being distributed with the absence of an Act.

"The Minister should also explain whether the money for this project will come from the Ministry of Finance or whether it will come from the contributions of S.N.P.F. members."

The Opposition Leader is correct to raise questions about the legislative framework for this form of public spending, which needs to be put in place, prior to the disbursement of the monthly allowance. An Act of Parliament needs to be passed, which the relevant government agency can use as a framework to guide and monitor the monthly disbursement of disability allowances in a financial year.

"The details and conditions for those who are entitled to this benefit must be made clear in this legislation so that it is fair for everyone,” added the Opposition Leader. 

In fact, expanding the footprint of the monthly allowance to also include mental health patients, is not a bad idea as Lauofo suggested. It would be an acknowledgment by the current Government of the country’s growing mental health problem, which is already affecting a growing number of men, women and children in Samoa. 

We are sure the Government is aware of the country’s responsibilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Samoa ratified in 2016, wherein the rights of people with disabilities will be protected. Article 5 of the Convention recognises that everyone is entitled to equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination. The $2 million fund for people with disability, while enabling the payment of a monthly allowance, will complement the decision that Samoa made seven years ago when it decided to ratify the international treaty.

There is no better way to show citizens living with disabilities how inclusive we are as a community and as a society than through a monthly allowance promulgated by the government of the day and financed by public funding.