The Remuneration Tribunal was asked to review the new salary readjustment approved by the House for public servants including senior members of the judiciary, members of parliament and the executive. 

Civil servants' salaries increased by three percent, with some receiving as much as 31 per cent, a subject that attracted different opinions from the legislators. 

Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa acknowledged the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s recommendation to have the proposed salary change reviewed instead of opting not to approve the budget in its totality.

Fiame spoke in Parliament on Thursday noting the good thing about the proposed salary that included the increase for parliamentarians was that an independent body did the review instead of them. 

In an interview with the Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Uelese Vaai, he said the recommendation from the parliamentary committee to review the salary readjustment would not stop the roll out of the increment. 

He said the task has been referred back to the Remuneration Tribunal to review the salary restructure as per recommendation from the House. 

Speaking in Parliament, Fiame gathered the majority of the views from members regarding their salary change was their allowances should not be included in their annual wage. 

She said she will not be drawn into an argument on the politicians’ contention on their salary as these matters can be reconsidered. 

Members also queried the Samoan judges sitting in the Land and Titles Court should be included in the civil servant list or not. 

Fiame noted the Civil Servant Act was repealed while legislation to establish an independent body to review salary and remuneration matters. 

She added the L.T.C. Samoan Judges were treated differently from the judges in Supreme Court and District Court as well as the L.T.C. President and Vice President. 

The point she made was that the Samoan judges who also presided in the District Court do more work and should be treated the same as their counterparts. 

The Prime Minister also used the opportunity to respond to suggestions that the increment for the leaders is more compared to public servants.  

She reminded that public servants salary increase started from 2019, 2020 and 2021 of 10 per cent for Cost of Living Adjustment (C.O.L.A.) which did not include the recent C.O.L.A. rolled out in 2023 to 2024. 

Fiame said the former and current government did consider these aspects based on C.O.L.A. for public servants.