Of the $43 million set aside as dividend payout by the Samoa National Provident Fund, only $32 million has been withdrawn so far by contributors last week. 

This was confirmed by the SNPF Chief Executive Officer Lemalu Selesitina Meni-Reti.

"$32 million has been withdrawn since yesterday (Friday) by 22,064 contributors," she said in an email to Samoa Observer.

The rollout of the cash payout started on Monday, and by Friday only 74 per cent of the contributors had withdrawn their four per cent. 

The majority of the contributors spent four per cent on back to school shopping with some using it on family commitments.

According to the Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Uelese Vaai during the announcement, the increase of the dividend from 2.4 per cent to four per cent reflected strong performance and SNPF growth in funds. 

Lautimuia expressed optimism that the Fund's financial health would continue to improve and that future dividend payouts could further increase. The payout goes hand in hand with the starting of the school year in Samoa, it will be a great help to families. 

Lemalu also stressed that moving forward, SNPF no longer encourages members to visit the office in person to claim their dividends, as the online system has become the preferred method of distribution.