The outgoing Minister for Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo has welcomed her move to the Ministry, which has oversight over the $1 million district development grant.

Her exit as the minister for finance and a new appointment as the Minister for Women, Community, and Social Development was announced last Wednesday by Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa in her first Cabinet reshuffle. 

Mulipola became Samoa's first female finance minister when the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party entered office following the 2021 General Election. She was also responsible for bringing down all supplementary and annual budgets in 2021, 2022 and 2023 in a tumultuous 25 months for the country's economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer on Tuesday, the incoming Minister for Women, Community, and Social Development said the decision to move her to the new ministry is good and she is looking forward to taking on her new responsibilities.

“It is important that I met with the Prime Minister and she has expressed how happy she was in terms of our economy and other aspects that have been achieved,” said Mulipola. “I believe my calling and the challenge I have been given is to try to resolve one of the issues with the [$1 million] project and that development.” 

Asked if she has a plan to fast-track the disbursement of the $1 million development grant, Mulipola said the project has a timeframe of 12 months to have SAT$51 million disbursed to districts. 

She noted that the key is for the district council office to work together with the Government Ministries involved in the project in order to roll out the development to benefit the community.

Recently the Savali newspaper reported that 32 constituencies out of 51 have received the final payment of the first SAT$1 million grant for the third financial year of the incentive.  

However, Mulipola pointed out that identifying what the issues are surrounding the delays in rolling out the grant is important to allow for progress while addressing the obstacles.

She also acknowledged the work of the outgoing Minister which will see the new Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Uelese Vaai also take over from her with their new ministerial appointments to take effect from 1 October 2023.

In her first appointment to the Cabinet in the third quarter of 2021, she became the country's first female Finance Minister and described her time working on the administration's budgets as not being easy. 

Mulipola said the lessons she learnt from her time in the Ministry and how public funds are managed are also an advantage for her in her new portfolio.