Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa, during his Friday press conference, said he received a report that there were missing audits in the education sector, adding that more than $1 million from the $18.5 million One Government School Grant (OGG) remained unused and is now under review.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said a report from Minister of Education and Culture (MEC) Aiono Alec Ekeroma found that no audits were conducted between 2021 and 2026 under the previous system. He said the lack of audits has been a cause of delays in the release and use of funds.

The Samoa Observer earlier reported that a Ministry of Finance (MOF) email indicated OGG allocations for more than 300 schools are currently under audit.

“There is over a million tala left in the old system, and it now needs to be checked,” the prime minister said.

He said the issue contributed to the government’s decision to shift school funding into the District Development Program or fonofaavae, placing greater responsibility on local governing bodies to oversee the distribution and use of funds.

Under the new system, schools must work with district leaders, including the chair of the fono faavae and representatives of teacher committees, to access funding.

Laaulialemalietoa cited an example from his constituency where a school was unable to use OGG funds for repairs and instead used $50,000 from district development funds. “These are some of the reasons why the fono faavae funds and OGG should be combined,” he said.

He said the OGG funds are currently being processed through commercial banks, with most schools expected to receive their allocations by early next week.

“Schools using National Bank and Bank of the South Pacific have already been processed, while Samoa Commercial Bank and ANZ are expected to complete payments by Monday,” he said.

However, delays remain, including at Lototaumafai School, where funding has been approved by the cabinet but is still being processed through the Ministry of Finance.

The prime minister said the school should not continue waiting for funds beyond next Friday.