The Minister for Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, said his ministry estimated more than 250 ministers of the church owed $US2500 each in unpaid tax for the first six months of the year.

"As of last week, we have given all the banks a list of names of the church ministers whose personal accounts will be affected by this seizure," said Tialavea.

He said if the ministers don't have any money, the government will seize their cars and lands, whatever assets they own, which have a market value.

"We will take and again, this is done under the authority of the law."

Tialavea said the law was passed in January 2018 and all the church denominations complied, except the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS).

"Well, the law applies to everyone. The law does not wait until it is accepted or not.

"We have given church ministers six months and those who continue to defy the law will face the consequences."

Workers making up to $US5900 dollars or 15,000 talas do not pay tax under reforms announced late last year.

Church ministers are included in this exemption.

But "Unless you file your taxes, we cannot determine which one makes less than the threshold," the revenue minister said.

"However, once the church ministers have filed their taxes and it's less, we will refund them."

The chairman of the Samoan Bankers Association, Tu'u'u Amaramo Sialaoa, said the banks are caught in the middle between the Ministry of Revenue and the customers.

"However, the law is the law and obviously we need to comply with the law," he said.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

Reverend Vavatau Taufao says taxing church ministers is just the first step.

"If this colonial mindset is allowed to continue, when will it reach the matai (high chiefs), taulelea (untitled men) … but that's my view. I'm very disappointed."

Vavatau made the comment in response to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi's use of old issues of the government-run Savali newspaper to show that church ministers paid taxes when Samoa was governed by Germany.

"These Savali issues are from 1906," Vavatau said in a special programme aired on church-run television station EFKS TV.

"Listen to the words: Ia lafo tupe a matai ma faifeau lotu, ia tofu ma le 12 maka, a'o taulelea, ia tofu ma le tai 8 maka."

[In English: Matai and church ministers were to pay twelve deutschmarks, the untitled men were to pay eight deutschmarks.]

Vavatau went on to say the church has a deeper concern, one that underlies the tax question - the reference to the pastor being an employee.

He said the EFKS membership can never belittle their pastors like that because they value their covenant relationship.

"If the Pastor is the employee, his only employer is God. They are workers for God.

"So unless the Government want to retrieve the tax from God, then they can go ahead and do that themselves."

The Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, has warned that all church Ministers have until 31 July 2018 to comply or face the consequences.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• sobserver.ws
• Image: 123rf.com

The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) General Secretary, Vavatau Taufao, said the changed section should never have been a part of the law.

Taufao said the Prime Minister and government officials also got big handouts from similar events and they were not taxed for them.

Last week the CCCS had a meeting with prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi to clarify its position and to propose alternative measures.

On Monday the Samoa Observer had reported that Tuilaepa refused to answer questions about the meeting.

Asked whether Cabinet has reached a decision regarding the elders' visit, and if they had responded to a letter in which the Government had been asked to reconsider the taxing of Church Ministers' alofa, Tuilaepa declined to comment.

"Don't ask me about that," he told the media.

"Leave the pastors alone - until they want to pay their taxes, that is none of your business."

"See how disrespectful you are, can't you see I don't want to talk about it and yet you are still asking?"

Tuilaepa said that of the thirty-five different Christian denominations in Samoa, 34 had not said anything.

And he added that those 34 denominations represented 75 percent of the population.

Earlier, Taufao, in referring to other church denominations who support the new taxes, said his congregation is a democracy and therefore the majority rules.

"It's like anything else - there are some people who support the laws if it's out of their respect for the Government, but the vast majority of church (sic), 98 percent or 99 percent support our congregation's position to stand firm on this taxing alofa issue."

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

The General Assembly (Fonotele) of the church has rejected outright the government's new law which imposes taxes on all church ministers.

One speaker at the Fonotele has gone so far as to predict that Government's decision to tax the head of state and church ministers is the beginning of the "downfall" of the 30-year rule of the Human Rights Protection Party.

The EFKS is the biggest and most influential denomination in the country.

The church's main point of contention is that what ministers receive from their congregations should not be taxable because they are voluntary donations.

Since the law to tax the head of state and church ministers became effective in January, the EFKS had refused to obey.

They said they would wait until their Fonotele this year to discuss the matter.

That Fonotele was held last week.

There was some support for the law but the final decision was to retain the opposition to the taxes.

The EFKS says rather than paying taxes it would prefer to make voluntary donations to the government.

The church executive will be meeting with the government this week to discuss this possibility.

The church women's group already makes annual donations to the health sector.

While the Fonotele was in progress, the prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi issued a clear warning.

"You will answer individually to the law," he said. "The law does not target the Church, rather it targets the church ministers individually."

"So what is Tuilaepa saying?" asked Mata'afa Keni Lesa in the Samoa Observer.

"That all members of the church who discussed and supported the rejection of the tax law should be charged and hauled to jail? Thousands of them too? What a scenario that would be."

The Ministry for Revenue placed notices in last Tuesday's newspapers thanking those ministers who have already registered with the tax office.

The notice also warns that the end of next month is the last day for registrations before the Ministry starts implementing other sections of the new law, including penalties.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• talamua.com
• sobserver.ws
• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: sobserver.ws

The loan from the was taken out to assist with the building of their $17.39 million Jubilee Church and for and other developments.

The Church's Komiti o Feau Eseese (Works Committee) has recommended to the Church's General Assembly, meeting at Malua, that steps be taken to reduce the debt more rapidly.

According to their report, the loan taken out in 2015 was for $15,116,760.17 with the annual payment of $1,743,300.

The first payment was made on 9 December 2016 but by that time the loan had increased to 15,209,955.68 because of the accrued interest.

So the first payment reduced the loan only to $13,466,655.68.

The second payment of $1,743.300 was made on 13 November 2017.

At that time the additional interest had brought the balance up to $14,426,357.69.

According to the committee's report, if the annual payments continue rather than monthly payments, the Church is looking at paying $23 million and payments will be completed by the year 2029.

They have recommended that church make monthly payments of $145,275.

The committee also recommended that the church's investments in Unit Trust of Samoa should be withdrawn and allocated to help pay for the Church's loan at SNFP.

The Komiti o Feau Eseese has also asked the General Assembly for an additional $2 million to complete the renovations of the John Williams building.

The committee made two recommendations related to decreasing the electricity bill of the Malua compound:

• Hire an engineer to evaluate all the electrical aspects of the compound and, whatever the results of the assessment, recommendations should be followed.
• Convert to cash power each building, including offices and residential, to assure the electricity is well managed."

They also made suggestions about measures to reduce power consumption.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• sobserver.ws
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

The item came in the form of a text from EFKS TV's reporter and media officer Rula Su'a Vaai. The text was subsequently confirmed by telephone. EFKS TV is the CCCS's TV channel.

Given the urgency and the subject of the press conference, Talamua's reporter Lagi Keresoma dropped everything, including preparations for a trip overseas on Sunday night, to rush down to the church headquarters to attend the media briefing.

But she discovered that the media officer had used the Church Chairman and his supposed press conference to lure the media into promoting a Carols Programme called 12 Joyful Nights of Christmas.

When she asked out of disappointment…. "what is this….?" the officer just shrugged it off with a smile.

Keresoma and the Samoa Observer reporter left a few minutes after the Christmas Carols promotion started.

Source

• Talamua
• Image: RNZ

At its annual conference last week a resolution was passed to present a letter to the government outlining the church's objection.

The rejection of the government's plan was widely supported by the Church's membership.

"This is not a type of local government, I mean this is a church," church member Tautolo Masele told the Sunday Samoan.

He said it would mean a double tax. "I mean we are not only paying taxes to the government through other ways and now we will all be taxed again through the faifeau."

The Minister of Revenue, Ti'alavea Tionisio Hunt says the government is in the process of reviewing the law to make sure every one pays taxes.

He said the review includes the existing law which allows church Ministers not to pay tax on their incomes.

In March, when the proposal was first aired, the Chairman of the Samoa National Council of Churches, Deacon Kasiano Le'aupepe, cautioned the government over its plan.

He said taxing ministers of religion was sensitive matter because way churches were funded differed from church to church.

Leaupepe said for that reason the National Council of Churches did not have an official opinion on the proposal.

He said each church would have to make its own response.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• Image: altarandthrone.com

The dedication ceremony started with various church district presenting gifts in a traditional Ta'alolo and the Mafutaga Aoao a Tina - the Church Women's Council presented fine mats, siapo and a monetary gift of $2 million tala. (NZ$1.1 million)

After the Taalolo, the christening ceremony followed, with Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese cutting the ribbon to open building while the Chairman of the Church, Reverend Elder Tautiaga Senara conducted the service.

The ceremony was attended by the head of state, Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, the prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, members of the council of deputies, cabinet ministers, leaders of other denominations, parliamentarians, members of the business community and hundreds of guests.

After the guests were seated, The Church General Secretary, Reverend Vavatau Taufao announced the only media to be allowed inside was the EFKS TV which is owned by the church.

The Samoa Observer reported that Vavatau has refused to speak to their reporter.

He insisted that he wanted to talk only to a reporter from Radio New Zealand International.

Difficulties have been encountered in completing the project including delays, questions surrounding loans raised, the cost of contruction matertials and difficulties with contactors.

The exact cost of the project and the extent of the remaining debt remains unclear.

News organisations have suggested different amounts. The confusion is increased by the fact that the amounts quoted are in Samoan tala, US dollars and in some cases the currency is not specified.

It appears however that the total cost is in the region of 17 million tala (NZ$9.6 million).

Vavatau said criticism of the church spending too much on constructing church buildings rather than the welfare of the people was an important matter to be considered.

"It is the people that agreed to build this, even though it is expensive it is their choice. But as General Secretary I believe that this is a living testimony of church prayer,"

Source

• talamua.com
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws

The Chairman of the Church's Finance Committee, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, said the loan is to fund the construction of the Jubilee Church at Malua and "other developments".

Le Mamea could not say what the "other developments" were.

However, he told the Samoa Observer last week that the loan was taken out before this year's Annual Conference. "The $15 million is not only to complete the construction of the Jubilee Church, it is also to fund the other developments by the Church," he said.

Le Mamea declined to comment on the status of the John Williams Building renovation contract with South Pacific Cladding.

The John Williams Building houses the church's administrative offices.

In January The Secretary General of the Congregational CCCS, Reverend Dr. Iutisone Salevao, denied reports that money issues have delayed the renovation work being done to the John Williams Building.

In June the CCCS suspended the renovations of the John Williams Building.

At the time Le Mamea told the media the project was suspended as of the Church Annual General Meeting decision to channel the financial resources completing the Jubilee Memorial Church at the headquarters at Malua.

In August the founder and owner of the South Pacific Claddings Tupuola Patrick Boone faced 10 criminal charges filed against him by police.

The charges include theft and obtaining stolen goods.

According to Court documents, Tupuola faces 7 counts of theft and 3 counts of obtaining stolen goods from the employees of a local building suppliers company last year.

Late last month the CCCS terminated its contract with South Pacific Cladding.

Tupuola blamed the CCCS for delays, which have resulted in a standoff between the two parties.

"We had sent numerous invoices for final orders completion, yet they kept reducing orders to suit their budget, and then would air freight these materials," he said.

"We have been patient with the church, even when they locked us out and eventually kicking us off their premises, o lea lava e olo le fua."

He has also not ruled out legal action if the parties "do not reach a solution".

Source

• samoaobserver.ws
• samoaobserver.ws
• samoaobserver.ws
• samoaobserver.ws
• Image: samoatimes.co.nz

The General Secretary of the Council Reverend Ma'auga Motu says a letter of objection has been received and will be discussed in next month's executive meeting.

He says the objection is based on using LMS because the Congregational Christian Church was formerly known as LMS before it changed its name 50 years ago.

The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa traces its beginnings to the arrival in 1830 of missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society, accompanied by missionary teachers from Tahiti and the Cook Islands and a Samoan couple from Tonga.

This Samoan church has continued to forge ecumenical relationships with other churches locally, regionally and internationally. Now it has become a transnational church with eight Districts (synod or diocese) outside Samoa: one in the USA, one in Hawaii, three in Australia and three in New Zealand. It has one congregation each in Fiji and American Samoa.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• CCCS.org.ws
• Image: Facebook