Cost of living blamed for crime rate and social problems

By Ulimasao Fata 26 October 2017, 12:00AM

People are not earning enough to cater for the high cost of living in Samoa. 

This is the opinion of Tavita Faiesea from Si’usega, who says there is an imbalance between the cost of living in Samoa and the salaries earned by Samoa’s workforce.

“The high cost of living is the root of so many issues in Samoa today,” Mr. Faiesea told the Village Voice team yesterday. 

He said people were paying more than what they were earning from their respective employments.

“The salaries we get from our job are obviously not enough for most families given the cost of living we have here in Samoa.”

“What I earn is really not enough for my family and this is a problem because of the cost of things from the supermarkets and any other shops here in Samoa.”

Mr. Faiesea said the high cost of living in Samoa led to issues such as increasing street vendors and increasing number of crimes in the country.

“The high cost of living is reflected in Samoa is seen in the increasing number of kids selling goods and other stuff around the streets of Apia.”

“It is also reflected in the increasing number of crime rates in Samoa, with youths breaking in and stealing from shops.”

He also mentioned that the high cost of living also contributes to family issues published in the papers every day.

“I believe most families are so busy trying to earn money that they forget about their children and that’s another issue related to the high cost of living.”

“We are so caught up with work and trying to earn money and we don’t have time for our children.”

Mr. Faiesea said while the Chinese people seem to offer the solution to the increasing cost of living, there’s also a concerning issue associated with Chinese expansion in Samoa. 

“Chinese shops are the cheap ones now in Samoa, but then the rate of their expansion and development is alarming and we need to be careful with our land.”

By Ulimasao Fata 26 October 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>