An estimate of $740,000 has been set aside by the Government for the acquisition of new passports for the current fiscal year. 

In addition, the state forecast additional revenue of $1 million for the sale of passports. 

The Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Uelese Vaai confirmed the figures in his first supplementary budget address for 2023-2024 tabled in Parliament this month. 

Lautimuia said the forecasted $1 million additional revenue from the sale of passports is in light of increasing demand from travelers. 

In terms of expenditure an allocation of $746,700 under the Ministry of the Prime Minister & Cabinet to cover the entire contractual expense associated with the acquisition of new passports. 

In the 2019-2020 budget a total of $610,000 was spent by the Government on new passports for Samoans which 

More than $600,000 is spent on new passports for Samoans each year, according to figures contained in a report. 

Some 20,000 new passports are ordered bi-annually to accommodate the country's demands.

The purchase of new passports comes under the $610,000 allocated in the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet estimate budget 2019/2020. 

The sales increase of Samoan passports can be attributed to the growing number of citizens leaving the country for seasonal work abroad. 

statistics confirm that Samoans' participation under the recognised seasonal employers' scheme in New Zealand significantly increased in the aftermath of the pandemic.

In 2018-19 some 3,013 Samoans were mobilised for work across both countries under the scheme and by 2021-2022 that figure doubled to a whopping 6,736 making their way overseas for work.

This is despite measures and new policies implemented by the Government to control a drain in the local market force losing skilled workers to fruit picking jobs.