APIA (Pacific Media Watch / Samoa Observer): Samoa's Attorney-General has denied that the proposed citizenship investment law means Samoa is up for sale.
Journalist Sophie Budvietas of the Samoa Observer interviewed Attorney-General Aumua Ming Leung Wai yesterday about the bill, which will give permanent residency for three years to anyone with about US$436,000 (or WS$1 million) to invest in Samoa, providing that the investor can also raise another US$1.4 million (or WS$3 million) within five years to bolster their investment. The investors would then be eligible for Samoan citizenship.
"The bill in question has raised eyebrows among members of the community since it appears to be offering citizenship for cash," Budvietas reported.
Lawyers Lei'ataualesa Darryl Clarke and Leota Raymond Schuster are opposed to the bill.
But Aumua said Samoa was not "for sale" and that foreign investors were needed to develop businesses in service, agriculture, energy, tourism, fisheries sectors and to buy up freehold or public land.
An extract of the interview by the Samoa Observer:
Samoa Observer: It also appears with this legislation that these new Samoan Citizens will be granted more privileges than those Citizens living overseas, especially in regards to voting. This hardly seems fair as these citizens are investing in Samoa by way of remittances, wouldn’t you agree?
Aumua: The Bill does not have the effect of giving preference to investors who are granted citizenship under the Bill compared to Samoan citizens living overseas. The Bill only gives the right to vote to investors who will permanently reside in Samoa. If investors do not reside permanently in Samoa, then they cannot vote or stand for election as MPs (similar to those Samoan Citizens permanently residing overseas - residential qualification in Samoa still applies as a voter or candidate for MPs). A person cannot be a candidate for Parliament unless the person is a registered Matai titleholder.
Samoa Observer: [Lawyer Leota Raymond Schuster] Leota raised some very interesting points saying the bill is a way of the government to generate income. He further pointed out the bill will imprison our children, and the children of our children. Do you agree or disagree?
Aumua: I totally disagree. The current citizenship law provides different categories of citizenship, which include citizenship by permanent residence. The citizenship under the Bill is built upon that category but with a shortened period of 3 years instead of the normal 5 years. The purpose of the Bill is to encourage investment in the business sector in Samoa, which will provide not only income for the government but also employment opportunities in and sustainable business developments for Samoa through increase investments in the business, agriculture, tourism, energy and fisheries sectors. I can’t see any reason why the Bill will imprison future generations of Samoa.
Samoa Observer: There has been much debate that very little evidence-based research has gone into this Citizenship Investment Bill. It is the reason the Chamber of Commerce has called for the bill to be put on hold until further research can be conducted. Is there any chance for this to happen?
Aumua: That is a matter for the line Ministry to answer. However, I understand that there is a Policy Paper prepared for and approved by Cabinet.
Samoa Observer: Finally, in regards to citizenship, the legislation reads that all one has to do is buy land for $1 million tala, do nothing to it for three years and then citizenship is open to the investor and four generations of their family. How does this help Samoa financially in any way?
Aumua: The Bill will be amended to clarify that for buying or leasing of lands, the investor must also develop the land in any of the areas listed as qualifying investments. It means $1m to buy/lease land and plus $4m to develop it.
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