The love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10.

The lack of money is the root of all evil. Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, an American writer, humorist, and essayist praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced" and named by William Faulkner as "the father of American literature.

Many would agree with the humourist's subversion of the age-old biblical phrase warning that an intense craving for wealth drives people to greed, sin, and spiritual ruin.

It distinguishes between having money and loving it, emphasising that greed, not the currency itself, causes different kinds of evil acts.

Thanks to the government's largesse, Samoan families are enjoying the benefits of the handouts of some of their taxes under a scheme to help with the children's schooling. Since the handouts are for everyone, the effect of roughly 91 miliion Tala suddenly pumped into the economy will no doubt be noticed eventually, most probably by way of hyper inflation.  

But there will be no problems over reporting on how the handouts are spent because even though there is mention of a schooling purpose for the government's generosity, there is no requirement that the money be spent only on schooling expenses.

Shortly, the government will be handing out 2 million Tala per district in its decentralisation village development program, but there have not been any steps yet to improve the Fono Faavae (district council committees) chaired by the constituency MPs, and their control of the public's money. Apparently, some districts have yet to report back on how the first million Tala allocations had been distributed and spent.

No doubt the bugs in the scheme will be cleaned out eventually, and the government can then concentrate on putting more permanent structures of the scheme in place. By that, we mean that the members of the Fono Faavae can be chosen by way of election, or members of the Fono Faavae can be elected by each village of the constituency.

And may we suggest that there be eleven (11) grand local councils (11 Fono Faavae Itumalo Mavae) to constitute the permanent structure of the village and district development program.

Ia manuia lava le vaiaso fou ma ona galuega.