Former Prime Minister and current Member of Parliament (MP) for Lotofaga, Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa, has dismissed comments by the Minister of Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio‘o, regarding an ongoing audit of the $250 million caretaker government budget, calling it a “waste of public money and resources.”

In a recent statement released by the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP), Fiame said all cabinet decisions made during the caretaker period were properly documented and financial records are already available through the Ministry of Finance and the Audit Office.

“This so-called investigation adds no value as it is another waste of public money and resources. All Cabinet decisions are properly recorded in the Fa‘ai‘uga Kapeneta (FK), and financial reports are already available,” Fiame said. “If anyone has questions, all they need to do is ask; that information is there.”

Fiame clarified that the $250 million allocation under scrutiny was part of the 25 per cent constitutional budget provision applied when the previous parliament did not pass a budget. She said the funds, together with the October emergency allocation, were lawfully managed under the Financial Management Act.

“It is ironic that they are auditing what is effectively their own budget, yet ignoring the rest of the financial year,” Fiame added. “This looks more like cheap politicking, much like the costly forensic audit that produced nothing of substance. If the Minister is looking for misuse of funds, she should turn her attention to the serious allegations of money being used to bribe voters, which is where the real concern lies.”

The former PM stressed that all financial activities undertaken during the caretaker period were conducted within the legal and administrative frameworks of government, with full documentation and accountability.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Audit Office maintain records that are accessible for verification at any time,” Fiame said.