APIA, 24 JANUARY 2020 (SAMOA GLOBAL NEWS) — Member of Parliament for Vaisigano Number 3 Faaulusau Losa Duffy Stowers challenged Parliament to look at reasons why Chinese businesses are growing and taking over Samoan owned shops in the villages.
“Chinese shops are developing while Samoan shops are going down. What is the reason, she asked in Parliament.
“E le’o toe põ fo’i malaē i lenei vaitaimi, ua alu a’e i luga faleoloa Saina, ae alu ifo i lalo faleoloa o Samoa.., Aisea le mafuaaga?”
An accountant by profession, Faaulusau then urged Government to offer capacity building programmes to assist small medium micro enterprises (SMMEs) owners in Samoa.
“Not financial assistance, but initiatives to share with them and build their capacity so that they are able to lift up their businesses”, said Faaulusau.
“E le o ni fesoasoani tau tupe ae pe mafai ona aumai i totonu i latou e faatalanoa ma faasoa iai le malamalama, ina ia siitia pisinisi”.
A member of the Samoa Institute of Accountants, she also questioned the quality of goods, pointing to the recycling of tins of herring as an example.
“Could this not be one of the reasons for decline in health?”
“These boxes of elegi being bought and resold by shops without regard to the expiry date?”
Faaulusau also attacked the ethics of Chinese deliveries that go out to the villages claiming in Parliament that often, they do not have receipts.
“Many deliveries that come out to rural areas have no receipts, so how will the Ministry of Revenue know about these sales for tax purposes?” added Faaulusau.
“O le tele o ia kiliva e o atu i tua e leai ni lisiti”, she said….(PACNEWS)