Samoa Land Corporation
Fa’alapotopotoga o Eleele Tumaoti a Samoa
Agency overview
Formed1990 (1990)
Minister responsible
  • Minister of Public Enterprises
Agency executive
  • Ulugia Petelo Kavesi[1], General Manager

The Samoa Land Corporation is a government-owned company based in Samoa. The corporation was established in 1990 to divest 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) of land previously owned by the Western Samoa Trust Estates Corporation on a commercial basis to generate revenue for the government.[2] The corporation is structured as a company under the Companies Act 1955.[2]

The corporation's work has been controversial. Some of the land owned by the corporation was taken during the colonial era and is claimed as customary land by village councils.[3] In 1997 villagers in Vaiusu fired on police in a dispute over alienation of customary land by the corporation.[4] In 2012 the village of Satapuala petitioned for the return of its land, arguing that it had been stolen by the German and then New Zealand administrations.[5]

In 2013 a parliamentary committee found that the corporation had engaged in overspending and "corrupt practices" to disguise payments to a local businessman,[6] and recommended legal action against those responsible.[7] In 2014 a parliamentary committee found that the Samoan government should not have transferred 18,500 acres (7,500 ha) of land to the corporation.[8] In 2019 the Auditor-General found that a debt of $15.9 million owed by the government to the corporation over a land exchange had not been followed up on by the corporation and that lease arrears had not been pursued.[9]

In 2014 the corporation moved out of its headquarters at Tuanaimato. The building failed to find a tenant and sat empty for three years,[10] and in 2017 the corporation moved back in.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Mata'afa Keni Lesa (20 June 2019). "Cabinet returns Ulugia Kavesi to head Samoa Land Corporation". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "About us". Samoa Land Corporation. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (26 August 2020). "S.L.C. seeking to divest 30,000 acres; villages object". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Chris Peteru (1 August 1997). "Estate of war". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 67, no. 8. p. 35. Retrieved 13 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Satapuala Village Petitions Samoa Government To Return Lands". Pacific Islands Report. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Parliament Scrutinizes Samoa Land Corporation Procurement Processes". Pacific Islands Report. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Report Details Alleged Corruption At Samoa Land Corporation". Pacific Islands Report. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "Committee Finds Samoa Government Should Not Have Transferred Land". Pacific Islands Report. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (31 October 2019). "Audit uncovers $15.9 million debt over exchanged land". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Ilia L. Likou (5 May 2017). "$4.4million building on market again". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  11. ↑ lia L. Likou (27 August 2017). "Land Corp to return to their $5.2m office". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
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