Commercial activities in Samoa injected $174.8 million to Samoa’s economy last year.

This is revealed in the September 2018 Quarter GDP Report, produced by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics.

The report says this was the highest quarterly value added ever produced by the industry.

Contributing the highest percentage points of 3.9 to overall growth, it increased by 12% over September 2017.

 “The performance in the quarter was attributed to increased activities in retailing and wholesaling of food, stationeries and durables goods such as electronic goods, clothing, furniture, furnishings and sale of motor vehicles,” the report reads.

“This was reflective of the 12.6% overall increase in revenue collected from taxes such as V.A.G.S.T, excises, import duties etc in the period when compared to the September 2017 quarter.”