Senior Government officials attended a meeting on Friday between the Lepa district and the SAT$1 million district development project's Steering Committee to resolve an impasse over funding access.

Officials from the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, the Attorney General, Su’a Hellene Wallwork-Lamb, Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt attended the meeting. 

The media was not allowed to sit in during the consultation on Friday that lasted for more than two hours. 

The Minister for Women, Community and Social Development, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Anarosa said the district was advised of issues pertaining to their handling of the initial SAT$200,000 establishment fund. 

The district had leased the EFKS building in Lepa for its district council office and paid SAT$96,000 which was disbursed and divided amongst the villages in the district.

However, the Minister pointed out that the disbursement of SAT$96,000 by the district council committee to the villages of Lepa as part of the lease payment did not comply with the funding agreement. 

 “They have also accepted this and it is now for the Committee to go through the process of the funding agreement,” said Mulipola. “The Attorney General also spoke as her advice was sought by the [Steering] Committee and there is a big part that it did not comply with guidelines and funding agreement with Lepa…

"It is now left to the Committee to go through the process and usually the Ministry of Finance carries out an investigation.” 

Asked if Lepa district is not able to access the first portion of the $1 million grant, the Minister said the issue pertaining to the lease agreement has to be resolved first before it can progress.

She said an investigation will be carried out pursuant to the funding agreement if the district does not follow guidelines. 

“They have already prepared the district plan for the project but we cannot move ahead with the $1 million before we can put in place matters pertaining to the fund [initial].” 

Mulipola said the Ministry will prepare a letter addressed to the District Council Chairman of Lepa and Deputy Chairman – which will highlight the discussions on Friday and propose a way forward regarding the lease agreement – before progress on accessing a portion of the SAT$1 million can be made. 

The Chairman of the Lepa District Council Committee and M.P. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi were not present during the meeting as he was unwell. 

The Deputy Chairman of the district committee, Auelua Samuelu Enari said they had a different view of the disbursement of the SAT$96,000 which they believe did not breach any agreement.

He noted that the Attorney General did not agree with their position and their lease payment was not done in accordance with the criteria and funding agreement. 

“The goal is to progress the work and we have different views with the Ministry and the Steering Committee but the most important thing is there is an opportunity to discuss and it appears we are moving forward,” he said. 

“There were other views to change the composition of the district committee but we feel the development plan has already been submitted and there is no value added in changing those in the committee and should move on with the development plan.”

Auelua was asked if he feels the matter has been resolved he replied “In principle, we are moving forward”.  

“The only thing left now is procedure which is we have to look at what the Ministry and Steering Committee are preparing, a document which is an agreement between the constituency and the steering committee,” said Auelua. 

“We need to view that too, any agreement has to be consent of both shouldn’t be dictated by one party. In principle my take on the meeting today we are moving forward the only thing is the procedures and what the content of that agreement.”

The issue pertaining to the removal of Tuilaepa as the Chairman of District Council was not the focus of the meeting and there is no demand to have him removed.