Hon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has secured the seat for the electoral constituency of Lepa.
Samoa’s longest serving politican first entered parliament in 1981 when he won a by-election.
Tuilaepa was later appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the government of then Prime Minister, Hon Tofilau Eti Alesana.
Papa Stui as he is affectionately known, also held the portfolios of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Tourism, and Commerce & Industry.
After Tofilau resigned in 1998, Tuilaʻepa became the Prime Minister and HRPP party leader. A position he would hold for 23 years until the 2021 general election.
HRPP ran a political campaign where every resident citizen would receive $500 tala per year as a Cost of Living Allowance – COLA.
The initiative aims to provide “direct financial relief to every resident Samoan citizen, ensuring meaningful support for families facing rising living costs.”
Larger households will benefit with the example given that a home of six will receive $3,000 tala annually, while a family of ten will benefit from $5,000 tala.. “enabling them to address critical needs such as food, education, utilities, and transportation.”
“This $110 million annual investment underscores HRPP’s commitment to rebuilding economic resilience and equitable prosperity across Samoa,” said Tuilaepa.
HRPP also launched a PELEGA initiative – which stands for Pension Ensuring Lasting Empowerment for the Golden Age – promising a $68 million tala pension reform that lowers the pension age from 65 to 61. Each newborn child will also receive a benefit of $1,000 tala.
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