Outspoken businesswoman, Moe Lei Sam, has criticised the government’s decision to bid to host the 2019 Pacific Games.

She said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi should reconsider the decision.

 “I heard on the news that Samoa is the only country bidding for the South Pacific Games to be held here but other islands are backing out especially Tonga,” she told the Samoa Observer.

“It makes me so mad because we must be the smallest island in the world, our country doesn’t have that much money and yet he already sent a letter that Samoa is interested?”

Ms. Lei Sam said the government should prioritise local needs.

“Some of our people are living in poverty,” she said. “They are suffering, others are begging for water and electricity, some have been living for over ten years without water and electricity and yet these are the most important tools in our lives.

“I wake up every day, I look at my children and their children and I say to myself, “for goodness sake they will grow up suffering because of this government.

“They sold our citizenship to the foreigners, even our customary lands, what’s next let the country be run by foreigners?

“It’s sad to see that this country is going down the drain with all that is happening.”

Ms. Lei Sam went on to say that the government needs to sort out what they should put first.

 “Fiji is the most established pacific island but they don’t want to host the event. Why? Because they are prioritizing their people.

“And here we are Prime Minister Tuilaepa is offering that we can host the games. For goodness sakes he should prioritize the people and their needs over anything else because it is the people who put him there and made him the Prime Minister, not a South Pacific Game or other people.

“It is us who put him there and so he should at least think about the people because they are suffering, we are all suffering.

“The people are crying and begging the govt. to help them, even worse the cost of living is sky rocketing.

“Rugby is just another waste of money and so Samoa is in a big mess.

“There’s so many things that he should be focusing on like now the rise of incest is going up, sexual violation as well as rape are also on the rise.

“The young girls and our children are not safe anymore these are the things that he should be looking at but instead he’s thinking of having games here.”

She also asks where will he get the money from?

“Who is going to pay for it if the Council do accept it,” she said.

“Who? the taxpayers? 

“It’s always the taxpayers that are suffering; he’s already done enough by taxing the pastors and the Head of States.

“Pretty soon he will tax babies and young kids.

“Prioritize the people that is what I want to say.”