A total of 44 of Samoa’s 51 districts have now officially signed funding agreements under the district grants' third million.

The latest signing ceremony, held on Monday, marked the inclusion of four more districts, Falealili No.1, Lepa, Safata No.2, and Aleipata Itupa i Lalo. Representatives from each of the district committees and secretaries were present to formalise the agreements.

Approval for the release of the third tranche of $1 million in funding was granted by the Special District Development Committee during its meeting on Thursday, 19 June 2025.

This was done following a review of the audit report on the $1 million funding previously disbursed, acquittal reports for the second tranche, and the districts’ Annual Development Plans and Budgets for FY2024–2025.

Under the current agreement, each district receives $160,000 (16 per cent) for operational costs of their committee offices $540,000 to begin implementation of development projects. The final $300,000 will be released upon submission and approval of acquittal reports verifying proper use of the project funds.

In total, $700,000 has now been transferred to each of the four districts to begin implementation. The program is designed to promote transparency and accountability in the use of public funds through staged releases based on reporting compliance.

This funding initiative is to empower local governance and ensure resources reach grassroots communities for impactful, locally-driven development.