Government expenditure to promote growth in Samoa's agriculture sector dropped by 45.0 per cent or $16 million when compared to the last financial year.

Data on the Government's finances, which were released by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) in a report published 8 September 2022, showed that expenditure to assist agricultural developments in Samoa for FY2021/22 amounted to just $19.5 million.

According to the S.B.S. report, this was a decrease of 45 per cent or $16 million when compared to the previous financial year and attributed the decrease to the wider impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"All components of agriculture, forestry as well as fishing and hunting recorded respective declines which are all consistent with the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on a national scale," reads the S.B.S. report.

The environmental sector also experienced a decrease in Government expenditure with the S.B.S. report stating that total expenditure for the environment sector for FY2021/22 amounted to $24.5 million, which was a decrease of 24.9 per cent (or $8.1 million) when compared to FY2020/21.

However, it was different for the educational and the health sectors with the S.B.S. report pointing to increased Government expenditure for the FY 2021/22.

For the educational sector, Government expenditure on education increased in FY 2021/22 by 3.6 per cent compared to FY2020/21. 

"This reflects the government’s initiative to improve social development through equal access to quality learning and development as indicated in the Pathway for the Development of Samoa FY2021/22 - FY2025/26," reads the S.B.S. report.

"Total expenditure amounted to $133.5 million; this is the seventh consecutive financial year ending June with which expenditure in the education sector has increased since FY2015-16."

As for the health sector, the S.B.S. report stated that Government expenditure on health services went up by 0.1 per cent (or $0.2 million) in FY2021/22 to $127.9 million from $127.7 million in the previous year. 

"The health sector was instrumental during the Covid-19 pandemic period through commencement of Covid-19 injection campaigns, advertisements and awareness operations to inform, protect and prepare the public for this pandemic."

The data that the S.B.S. used for its report were sourced from the Bureau as well as the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Samoa.