MINISTER ANNOUNCES PERMANENT RESIDENT PERMIT PROGRAM FOR 2004-2005
MINISTRY OF THE PRIME MINISTER & CABINET (MPMC), APIA, 30 JUNE 2004
The Prime Minister today announced that Cabinet had approved a quota of 10 places in the Permanent Resident Permit Program for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
This is the first time that the Government of Samoa had established a permanent resident program and it is part of the new provisions of the Immigration Act 2004.
In announcing the program, the Prime Minister said that the Cabinet decision responded to the provisions of the Immigration Act 2004 that requires the Cabinet to determine the maximum number of permanent resident permits that may be granted in any year.
The Cabinet is also required to annually determine eligibility and residency requirements for the granting of permanent resident permits. This it has done the Prime Minister said.
The program provides two (2) permits for applicants from outside Samoa and it is hoped to use these to support Government endeavours to attract new business and investment to Samoa.
We will use the Samoan Trade Offices overseas to help identify possible investors or new business developers the Prime Minister said.
Turning to eligibility criteria the Prime Minister said that Cabinet had set the hurdles high to ensure the extent possible that successful applicants would make a significant contribution to the social and economic prosperity of Samoa.