As predicted, it was part of the plan to hand over the remainder of the district grant as a lump sum. Abuse is the first word to pop up if this were allowed to happen. Perhaps, the budget’s failure was a blessing in disguise to protect the public funds.

It was revealed that the national budget’s failure halted plans to roll out $91.8 million or $1.8 million for each constituency, for the next financial year. The total of $91.8 million for the project was a major component of the $1.2 billion budget, which failed to move past the first reading in parliament, triggering an early general election. According to the budget for 2025-2026, the $91.8 million completes the promised $5 million for 51 constituencies during the five years of the parliamentary sitting. The district grant funding is still active for the current financial year only.

The handling of the money has been problematic from the moment the grants started. The government admitted that unqualified people were working for the district councils who could not make proper financial reports. There has been very little control over the use of the money given to the districts, and improper financial bookkeeping has only added to the problem.

Evidence of blatant misuse of the $1 million emerged in a parliamentary debate last year. It was revealed that a district office initially intended for the district council's operations and built with the allocated $200,000 was abandoned. Instead, that district rented a different office and used project funds. There were also deals struck with hardware companies where some benefited in millions for the supply of goods under the grant. There is no way to know if goods were supplied at a price above the marked price.

This shows that some district councils used this money as they saw fit. The lack of transparency and accountability was apparent in the district grants, and the $2 million being given to the district council in this financial year would have been nothing but campaign funds. A forensic audit should be extended to the reports from each district council. It is a mystery why the reports for the first tranche of the district grant are yet to be made public.

The people of this nation have a right to know how this money was used. This money was for development. It was for the betterment of people, to send children to school, to build better roads, to equip people with tools to improve their lives, and to invest in projects that would make income for the district. Instead, the money was used to purchase land belonging to family members of some MP or even the MPs land to construct district offices. In one case, an allotment of the fund has just vanished into thin air. In another money was invested into the unit trust and then prematurely withdrawn, this case is now before the police.

Make the reports public, and show the people of this nation how transparent and accountable the district councils have been. It would be great to see how many of the district councils decided to use the money to pay their teachers better or in line with the government salary scales. How many used the funds to make education free for children in their constituencies?

How many district councils provided bus fares for children to reach school, and how many invested in a bus so people in rural and remote communities could access public transportation? Did any of the farming constituencies invest in tractors or agricultural equipment that would help farmers have a bigger yield? We as a nation need more agricultural products in our market. How many district councils invested in projects that would make money and help everyone in the district?

Have there been any chilling stations built for villages next to the sea, and boats purchased so more people could earn from fisheries? We are an island nation surrounded by the sea, yet the bounties from the ocean are not being used.

It would also be good to know if the funds were used to help families get access to electricity and water. The funds could have easily been used to make solar farms and connect homes to them. This would have reduced the burden on so many families and also helped the nation achieve its renewable energy goal.

Our nation deserves transparent and accountable leaders. If the use of the district grants does not show that, our leaders who were given charge of this have failed their people. Now that $91.8 million can be focused either on health, education or eradicating poverty. The question is, the people of Samoa will choose the next lot of people who decide that.