- Under way
Councils now work under the District Development Act 2026. Cabinet picks their chairs, and a government steering committee must approve plans before money is released. 12 On 15 October 2026 the District Development Authority said Vaimauga No. 4 was the first district to qualify for the new SAT$2 million, with the first payments due by November. 34
Cuts both ways Funded in the budget OverdueDetails and sources
- Promised
- FAST launched its 2025 manifesto in Savaiʻi on 12 July 2025. 5 More money for district grants was among its promises. 6 On launch day, Samoa Global News reported that FAST would raise the grant to SAT$2 million for each district, for each financial year. 7 Samoa Global News put the total at SAT$110 million a year. 8 But 51 districts at SAT$2 million comes to SAT$102 million (worked out from these figures). 7 We found no explanation for the gap. A Samoa Observer editorial on 13 July 2025 said FAST promised SAT$1.5 million or SAT$2 million, depending on the size and population of each district. 9 So the sources disagree on the amount. On 28 August 2025 the Samoa Observer summed up the promise as keeping the SAT$1 million grant for each of the 51 constituencies, with proposals to raise it to SAT$2 million. 10 Devpolicy wrote before the election that FAST's 2021 promise gave each constituency SAT$1 million to use however it wanted, and that this would rise to SAT$2 million. 11 In August 2026 a government statement, published by Talamua, said the manifesto promised SAT$2 million a year. 12 We could not find the 2025 manifesto itself. No source from before the election that we read quotes FAST on who chooses projects or names the Fono Faʻavae. So the 'districts choose' part of the promise is not confirmed in FAST's own words.
- What happened
- The 2025/26 budget was tabled on 6 October 2025 and gave the programme SAT$91.8 million. 1314 The budget raised each district's share from SAT$1 million to SAT$1.8 million and said this would let districts set their own priorities. 1516 The minister in charge, Moefaʻauouo Julius Ah Kui Tafunaʻi, said he stopped the programme between October and November 2025 because of discrepancies. 17 From 7 to 14 November 2025, chair posts were opened to candidates who lost in the 2025 election. 18 Sitting MPs no longer chair councils automatically. 19 Talamua reported that the programme reopened on 12 January 2026. 20 PMN News reported on 15 January that the 12 January date had been missed, so the sources disagree. 21 On 14 January 2026 the Prime Minister, Laʻauliʻalemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, announced the chairs for all 51 districts, PMN News reported. 22 The Samoa Observer reported that he named chairs for 50 districts, all but Aiga i le Tai. 23 The ministry's list, published by Talamua, does name a chair for Aiga i le Tai. 24 The ministry said Cabinet approved two co-chairs in 11 districts. 25 The Samoa Observer said the other 40 districts have one chair each, and that most chairs are FAST MPs. 26 In the co-chair districts, PMN News reported, one co-chair is aligned with FAST and the other is an HRPP or independent MP. 27 PMN News also reported the Prime Minister saying FAST had decided, as policy, that chairs come from its own ranks. 28 He said the government was not biased. 122 The chairs included Magele Sekati Fiaui for Faʻasaleleaga No. 2. 22 Magele was the FAST MP for that seat from 2021 until he lost it in 2025. 29 Magele filed an election petition, and the winner of the seat filed a counter-petition. 120 On 21 November 2025 the Supreme Court upheld the counter-petition and found Magele guilty of bribery under electoral law. 11912130 The Samoa Observer reported nine counts. 31 The court barred him from standing for election for 10 years. 32 The court said his approval and signing of district cheques on the pre-polling day and two days before polling was an inducement of voters. 3334 The court said the timing turned otherwise lawful payments into corrupt practices. 35 The Samoa Observer reported the amount as more than SAT$60,000 of district money. 36 Magele said the court made no finding that he stole or misappropriated funds for his election campaign. 37 He said the payments were for projects the district council had approved. 133134 The Prime Minister said the case was about timing, not misuse of funds. 38 In February 2026 the minister said his ministry had no record of Magele committing a criminal offence. 39 We found no report of criminal charges against Magele or of an appeal. In late January 2026 Cabinet, not the districts, decided that about SAT$32 million of the district money would pay SAT$150 to every person. 4041 In February 2026 Cabinet stopped funding for Faʻasaleleaga No. 2. The Prime Minister said local leaders had not met government conditions. 42 The district had rejected the chair the government chose. 43 The Prime Minister objected to comments a chief from the district made at an HRPP meeting, which questioned whether he had the will to go to Savaiʻi. 4445 He said the matter had been referred to police, but gave no details of any investigation or charges. 123 We found no report of charges. On 8 April 2026 Talamua reported that the government had lifted the ban, at a meeting where the district apologised. 4647 On 16 February 2026, 48 of the 51 districts signed funding agreements. 48 They could sign once the programme's steering committee had approved each district's annual plan and budget. 49 At the signing, Attorney General Mauga Precious Chang said the money stays the property of the government and can be seized. 505152 Talamua reported the Prime Minister telling councils that only through the programme, not the opposition, can the government bring benefits to districts. 53 Parliament passed the District Development Act 2026 under urgency on 12 March 2026. 5455 The bill's first reading, on Tuesday 10 March, passed without debate. 56 The Act was due to come into force on 1 July 2026. 57 Under the Act, Cabinet appoints each chair from the district's candidates at the last election, and a government steering committee must approve plans before money is released. 12 The Act sets penalties of up to seven years in prison for misuse and bars councils from new contracts during election periods. 5859 PMN News said final approval of projects rests with central government, through the new Authority and a ministerial steering committee. 6061 PMN News also said the Act has no specific rules on including women, youth or people with disabilities. 62 On 30 July 2026 Talamua reported that Cabinet had appointed Unasa Viane Faifuaina Toala as the Authority's first chief executive. 63 On 14 May 2026 the government said it had sent seven district offices to the Attorney General to look into why their financial reports were late. 64132 In January 2026 the Prime Minister said 2026/27 projects would include compulsory farming projects. 65 In October 2026 the Minister of Family and Social Affairs, Moefaʻauouo, said district offices would pick one family in each district for a SAT$2 million housing scheme run with ADRA. 66 HRPP has challenged the choice of chairs in the Supreme Court, saying it discriminated against people linked to HRPP. 67 On 31 March 2026 Talamua reported that Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese had turned down HRPP's request for an interim order to halt the programme. 68 That ruling did not decide HRPP's main case, which was still to be heard. 124 At the hearing on 13 July 2026, HRPP's lawyer, Rodney Harrison, argued that every district ended up with a FAST chair or a FAST co-chair. 69 On 10 February 2026 the minister had said chairs and co-chairs both sign on district bank accounts, but the chair's signature is compulsory. 70 In a letter published on 13 March 2026, HRPP leader Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi said only the FAST chair holds the signing authority. 7172 The government's lawyer, Benjamin Keith, told the court the appointments were lawful and were a Cabinet decision based on interviews by the steering committee. 7374 Keith said it was proper to tell apart people who supported the policy from those who opposed it. 75 Keith said this was about opposition to policy changes, not party loyalty. 76 Keith also accepted that political considerations were part of the appointments, but said the legal question was whether they were allowed under the Constitution. 77125 On 17 July 2026 Talamua reported that the court had reserved its decision. 78 We found no report of a judgment by 22 October 2026, so HRPP's claim of discrimination has not been decided.
- Impact on families
- Talamua reported that the government used a major part of each district's SAT$1.8 million for the flat SAT$150 payment. 79 By 28 June 2026 the government said 194,267 people had been paid. 80 The minister said that was 95% of Samoans, and that more than SAT$29 million had been spent. 8182 That is about a third of the SAT$91.8 million for 2025/26 (worked out from these figures). 8214 In April 2026 the Samoa Observer reported that some districts, including Faleata No. 2 and Vaimauga No. 3, ran out of money during the payout and turned people away. 83 The government says more than SAT$1.46 million of Faleata No. 2's SAT$1.8 million went on the SAT$150 payment. 84 The Authority said 9,769 people there got SAT$150 each, SAT$1,465,350 in all, and that the spending was formally approved. 129130 The government says other approved spending there included tourism and cultural projects for the 2026 Independence celebrations. 85 In August 2026 the Samoa Observer reported that no physical project had been finished in Faleata No. 2 with the SAT$1.8 million. 86 On 6 August 2026 the Samoa Observer reported that bank statements it had seen showed five cash withdrawals of SAT$300,000 each between 7 March and 10 April 2026, SAT$1.5 million in all, and that these involved the council chair. 126127 It said the account held SAT$1,017.70 on 21 July 2026. 128 On 12 August 2026 the Samoa Observer described the chair's withdrawals as more than SAT$1.5 million in cash over four months, so its two reports differ on the amount and the period. 87126 The Samoa Observer said its reports did not allege that the money was stolen or corruptly used. 89 The government says cash withdrawals from district accounts are not, by themselves, proof of theft. 90 In Safata No. 1, the government confirmed a SAT$750,000 cash withdrawal and said it paid for SAT$150 payments, but did not publish a breakdown, Samoa Newshub reported. 91131 The government's release did not say how much was spent on each item or how many people got SAT$150. 92 The release said the spending is documented and will be part of the district's audited reports. 93 Samoa Newshub said the missing records do not show that the money was misused. 94 For the earlier SAT$1 million rounds, the 2025/26 Budget Address said the programme had paid for scholarships, upgraded early childhood centres, and better water and toilet facilities at schools in many villages. 95 The 2025/26 Budget Address also said 153 jobs had been created in district council offices. 96 In December 2024 Talamua reported that SAT$37,500,288 of the 2023/24 money had been paid out on projects, with SAT$13,499,712 still unspent. 97 A World Bank mission said in 2024 that the programme showed strong potential after one round. 98 We found no independent study of what the projects achieved for families. At a meeting on 15 October 2026, the Authority told Vaimauga No. 4 residents to take ideas such as a feed mill to their district council, the Fono Faʻavae. 99
- Cost
- The 2026/27 Budget Address gives the programme SAT$102 million. 100 The Budget Address also lists SAT$112,582,624 for the Samoa District Development Authority. 101 The gap is SAT$10,582,624 (worked out from the two figures). 100101 PMN News said the Budget Address does not explain the gap. 102 Total spending is SAT$1,500,580,288 in 2026/27, against SAT$1,241,535,754 in 2025/26. 103 So the programme is about 6.8% to 7.5% of the 2026/27 budget, and the SAT$91.8 million of 2025/26 was about 7.4% of that year's budget (worked out from these figures). 10314 In March 2026 the Chief Justice said the policy involves about 10% of the budget. 104 We could not find how that figure was worked out.
- Verdict for families
- Cuts both ways
- Can it be done?
- Doable
- Long term
- Mixed long term
- Who deserves the credit
-
Shared credit
Fiamē's FAST government started the programme in 2021, paying for council offices, three permanent staff per district and the SAT$1 million grant, and it built on district plans rolled out in 2017 under HRPP and on World Bank help with monitoring systems. 105106107108109110 This government added the Act, the Authority, Cabinet's choice of chairs, the SAT$150 payout and the SAT$2 million rate from 2026/27; it called the SAT$1.8 million of 2025/26 an increase, though its own budget said this fulfilled the earlier SAT$5 million commitment, Talamua called it the final payment of the 2021–2025 money and the Samoa Observer said it was built from leftovers. 14110015111112
- Who gains
- 194,267 people, 95% of Samoans by the government's count, got SAT$150 each from district money in 2025/26, more than SAT$29 million in all, and districts that qualify can get SAT$2 million each in 2026/27, with Cabinet-picked chairs holding the signature needed to spend it. 808182370
- Who pays
- Taxpayers and future budgets pay, as loans help cover the 2026/27 deficit though the budget links them to no programme, and so do residents of districts at odds with the government or behind on accounts, such as Faʻasaleleaga No. 2, cut off from February to April 2026, and Faleata No. 2, which cannot get its next SAT$2 million until its accounts are in. 117118424688
- Assessment
- The money is shared across all 51 districts, so rural villages get a share. 113 The new Act adds prison terms for misuse and limits on contracts during elections. 5859 But control has moved to the centre. Cabinet picks the chairs, by the Prime Minister's account from FAST ranks, and a steering committee approves every plan. 1282 In 2025/26 Cabinet, not districts, decided how a major part of the money was spent. 4179 Cabinet cut off Faʻasaleleaga No. 2, which had rejected its chosen chair, until April 2026; the Prime Minister said local leaders had not met government conditions. 424346 Cabinet's choice of chair there is a former FAST MP whom the Supreme Court, ruling on election petitions, found guilty of bribery under electoral law over the timing of district cheques he signed; he says the court made no finding that he stole or misappropriated funds, and the Prime Minister says the case was about timing. 3033353738 The IMF said in July 2026 that the programme should not grow until spending, openness and accountability improve. 114115 The government says it accepts these changes. 116 With district money run through party-picked chairs, the risk of patronage is real, so this lands as mixed.
Sources (134)
- What Samoa’s District Development Act 2026 means for district funding?
- What Samoa’s District Development Act 2026 means for district funding?
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- FAST Manifesto Promises Tax Cuts and Support to Industry
- FAST manifesto: Free hospital, money for poor and launch of stock exchange
- FAST Manifesto Promises Tax Cuts and Support to Industry
- FAST Manifesto Promises Tax Cuts and Support to Industry
- More promises, FAST and its manifesto
- What the three major parties are promising Samoa
- Gearing up for the 2025 Samoan general election
- POLITICAL OPINION: When Truth Becomes the Casualty of Political Power
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- 20 More Districts Receive $1.8M for Development Projects
- Government outlines process for district chair appointments
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- 20 More Districts Receive $1.8M for Development Projects
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- Government Announce Chairpersons for the District Development Program
- Government Announce Chairpersons for the District Development Program
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- Magele used $68K district grants for election corruption
- Magele Sekati Fiaui Clarifies Court Decision, Denies Misappropriation Allegations
- Sāmoa confirms district office leaders as PM defends appointments after bribery ruling
- Power struggle grows over new Sāmoa district appointments
- PM Clarifies $32M Funding for Back-to-School Scheme
- PM Clarifies $32M Funding for Back-to-School Scheme
- Faasaleleaga II funding withheld by Cabinet
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Faasaleleaga II funding withheld by Cabinet
- Faasaleleaga II funding withheld by Cabinet
- Government lifts ban on Fa’asalelelaga 2 District Development Project
- Government lifts ban on Fa’asalelelaga 2 District Development Project
- $86.4M Available for 48 Districts Development Projects
- Government Signs District Development Programme Funding Agreements
- Sāmoa tightens control of district funds with new seizure powers
- Sāmoa tightens control of district funds with new seizure powers
- Sāmoa tightens control of district funds with new seizure powers
- $86.4M Available for 48 Districts Development Projects
- Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority
- Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority
- Parliament passes DDP Bill
- Sāmoa overdraft plan raises questions under new district funding law
- What Samoa’s District Development Act 2026 means for district funding?
- What Samoa’s District Development Act 2026 means for district funding?
- Explainer: Sāmoa’s new law reshapes district funding and puts communities in charge
- Explainer: Sāmoa’s new law reshapes district funding and puts communities in charge
- Explainer: Sāmoa’s new law reshapes district funding and puts communities in charge
- Unasa Toala to head the District Development Authority
- Seven districts referred to AG over delayed grant reports
- PM Clarifies $32M Funding for Back-to-School Scheme
- 51 Families to Benefit from $2 Million Government Housing Allocation to ADRA
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- Court dismiss HRPP Interim Injunction to Halt the District Development Project
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- “They did not apply but instructed me to accept them as Chairpersons” says Minister
- Discriminatory law governing district development
- Discriminatory law governing district development
- Court reserves decision on appointment of District Development Council Chairs
- Court reserves decision on appointment of District Development Council Chairs
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- Court reserves decision on appointment of District Development Council Chairs
- 20 More Districts Receive $1.8M for Development Projects
- 194267 Tagatanuu o Samoa sa maua le ta'i $150 tala
- 194267 Tagatanuu o Samoa sa maua le ta'i $150 tala
- 194267 Tagatanuu o Samoa sa maua le ta'i $150 tala
- More than $15M paid out in $150 school support
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government: Public money must be accounted for
- Government: Public money must be accounted for
- Government: Public money must be accounted for
- District Development Funds — Facts, Accountability and Support for Samoan Families
- Government confirms $750,000 Safata withdrawal but spending records remain unpublished
- Government confirms $750,000 Safata withdrawal but spending records remain unpublished
- Government confirms $750,000 Safata withdrawal but spending records remain unpublished
- Government confirms $750,000 Safata withdrawal but spending records remain unpublished
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- World Bank Impressed with $1m District Development Project
- World Bank Impressed with $1m District Development Project
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Budget Address 2026/2027
- Budget Address 2026/2027
- Sāmoa overdraft plan raises questions under new district funding law
- Public to have say on $1.5 billion budget
- No Grounds for HRPP Motion to Withhold the District Development Project
- Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority
- Two remaining Districts sign Funding Agreement for $1million Project
- Two remaining Districts sign Funding Agreement for $1million Project
- National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21: Samoa (A/HRC/WG.6/39/WSM/1)
- POLITICAL OPINION: When Truth Becomes the Casualty of Political Power
- PNG and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility 2024 Annual Progress Report
- 20 More Districts Receive $1.8M for Development Projects
- Hit-and-run probe team formed, extra $2M for overseas medical
- Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority
- IMF reviews Samoa’s public investment management system
- IMF reviews Samoa’s public investment management system
- District Development Funds — Facts, Accountability and Support for Samoan Families
- Sāmoa returns to borrowing as debt falls and lenders open doors
- Sāmoa returns to borrowing as debt falls and lenders open doors
- Magele Sekati Fiaui Clarifies Court Decision, Denies Misappropriation Allegations
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Sāmoa PM challenged by village chiefs over district appointment
- Faasaleleaga II funding withheld by Cabinet
- Court dismiss HRPP Interim Injunction to Halt the District Development Project
- HRPP Claims DDC Appointments Were Politically Driven as Government Defends Selection Process
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government defends handling of Faleata No. 2 DDP funds
- Government confirms $750,000 Safata withdrawal but spending records remain unpublished
- Seven districts referred to AG over delayed grant reports
- Magele Sekati Fiaui Clarifies Court Decision, Denies Misappropriation Allegations
- Magele Sekati Fiaui Clarifies Court Decision, Denies Misappropriation Allegations
Is it funded?
Funded in the budget
The 2026/27 Budget Address gives SAT$112,582,624 to the Samoa District Development Authority and says SAT$102 million for the programme. 12 PMN News reported that the difference, about SAT$10.5 million, is not explained in the Budget Address. 3 The Central Bank's 2026/27 policy statement lists the programme at SAT$2 million per district and SAT$112.6 million in total. 4 The Ministry of Finance lists the 2026/27 Approved Estimates, but the page gave us no working link to the document, so we cannot show how the SAT$112,582,624 is split. 5 On 15 October 2026 the Authority said the first 2026/27 payments would go out by November. 6 Vaimauga No. 4 is first in line, for SAT$1.4 million, or 70%; the other 30% follows once all audited reports are in. 78 In 2025/26 the line was SAT$91.8 million. 9 By 4 March 2026, more than 20 of the 50 eligible districts had received that year's money. 10 On 14 May 2026 the Prime Minister said many districts had received SAT$1.2 million, while the rest was still being released. 11 We found no published full-year figure for money paid out in 2025/26.
Sources (11)
- Budget Address 2026/2027
- Budget Address 2026/2027
- Sāmoa overdraft plan raises questions under new district funding law
- Monetary Policy Statement for the Financial Year 2026/2027
- Budget Estimate
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Budget Address FY2025-2026
- 20 More Districts Receive $1.8M for Development Projects
- Seven districts referred to AG over delayed grant reports
Deadline (passed)
When Parliament passed the Act, Talamua reported that the SAT$2 million a year for each district would start in July 2026. 1 The Act was due to come into force on 1 July 2026. 2 On 30 July 2026 Talamua reported that Cabinet had named the Authority's first chief executive. 3 On 15 October 2026 the Authority said the first payments of the SAT$2 million would go out by November, so the money part of the July date has been missed. 4 The government's wider target is SAT$10 million for every district by the end of the five-year term. 5
Sources (5)
- Parliament endorses the establishment of a District Development Authority
- Sāmoa overdraft plan raises questions under new district funding law
- Unasa Toala to head the District Development Authority
- Vaimauga 4 to receive $2 Million for District Development Projects
- Government Delivers on Key Social Commitments from 1 July 2026
What research says
Research is mixed
In Solomon Islands, an evaluation scored how well constituency funds were run at 0.38 on average, on a scale of zero to one, and concluded they are not usually managed well. 12 In Papua New Guinea, more district fund money did not help MPs win re-election on average. 3 A 2018 3ie review of studies of community-driven programmes found they improve facilities for schooling, health and water. 4 The review's authors wrote that such programmes have been very successful at delivering small local infrastructure. 5 The 3ie review found no effect on social cohesion or governance. 67 The review said such programmes may use existing cohesion rather than build it. 8 The review also found women were half as likely as men to know about such programmes. 9 Sāmoa's money is run through district councils rather than handed to MPs, which is closer to community-driven schemes. 10 But Cabinet picks the chairs, and most chairs are FAST MPs, so the Pacific risk of party control still applies. 1112 A World Bank scoping and technical mission said in 2024 that Sāmoa's scheme showed strong potential, but that was not an evaluation. 1314 We found no independent evaluation of Sāmoa's scheme. The IMF said in July 2026 that capital spending under the scheme has persistently run behind plan. 1516
Sources (16)
- Constituency fund management and electoral success in Solomon Islands
- Constituency fund management and electoral success in Solomon Islands
- Do DSIP funds help PNG MPs win?
- Community-driven development: does it build social cohesion or infrastructure? A mixed-method evidence synthesis
- Moving the debate forward on community-driven development
- Moving the debate forward on community-driven development
- Moving the debate forward on community-driven development
- Community-driven development: does it build social cohesion or infrastructure? A mixed-method evidence synthesis
- Community-driven development: does it build social cohesion or infrastructure? A mixed-method evidence synthesis
- Faasaleleaga II funding withheld by Cabinet
- What Samoa’s District Development Act 2026 means for district funding?
- PM defends Magele's appointment, announces district chairs
- World Bank Impressed with $1m District Development Project
- World Bank Impressed with $1m District Development Project
- IMF reviews Samoa’s public investment management system
- IMF reviews Samoa’s public investment management system
Cost and reach
Yearly cost is the 2026/27 line for the Samoa District Development Authority. 1 Reach is the government's count of 194,267 people paid SAT$150 through district councils in 2025/26. 2 We found no confirmed count of people reached by the projects districts chose, either in earlier rounds or in 2025/26.
Sources (2)
- Budget Address 2026/2027
- 194267 Tagatanuu o Samoa sa maua le ta'i $150 tala
Helps: Every household alike · Rural villages and Savaiʻi · MPs, district chairs and the governing party
Paid for by: Taxpayers · Future budgets and debt · Rural villages and Savaiʻi
All 2025 promises in Districts and villages →
Folafolaga · https://folafolaga.pages.dev/promises/fast-village-district-councils/ · Printed from the version last checked 23 October 2026. Every claim's source is listed on that page.