Transcript
From next month, for the first time, church ministers and Samoa's Head of State will have to pay income tax. The Catholic Church and the Methodist Church say they've accepted the law and their ministers will pay. But at a recent general assembly, the leaders of the Congregational Christian Church - Samoa's largest - said they would flout the law. The church's general secretary, Reverend Vavatau Taufao, says the law's an affront to their beliefs, as the ministers live off donations.
"Our church ministers totally depend on donations from the parishioners. So it depends on how much they donate. If they donate a dollar, that's all, that's it. And we believe those donations shouldn't be taxed."
Our correspondent in Apia, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says while pastors live off donations, many ministers live quite comfortably on more than average Samoans.
"For example, in another village a church minister, every two weeks, they're earning six thousand tala, round about three thousand US a fortnight. For one month that's over 10 grand."
The prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, hasn't held back his criticism, recently telling parliament the church is not willing to contribute to the country's development. His words are translated.
"This is a very shallow assessment made by just as shallow people. Why? It is because God appoints the country's leaders to lead a government founded on him."
The church hasn't been pulling its punches either and says it's not willing to budge. Following the assembly, a senior church minister said the move could be the beginning of the "downfall" of the Tuilaepa government, which has stood for more than 20 years. Reverend Taufao's more reserved than the senior minister - but he maintains the pastors won't be paying the tax.
"The government has to understand that the church has its own policies. [you still come under Samoan law though don't you?] Yeah well, how much do we have to compromise our faith to abide in laws that are not fairly designed?"
But Tuilaepa isn't backing down either.
"There will no further negotiations as requested for government to reconsider its postion on this issue because due process prescribed by law was exhausted by parliament before the law was approved. And the law applies to everyone without preferential treatement."
Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says the issue is stirring heated debate in Samoa.
"There's a lot of division with peoples thoughts about taxing of church ministers serving in parishes. There are people, you know, quoting what the bible says. There are people who've said that's not what it means, you know that's what the bible is teaching us. But, you know, the reality of life that we're living, we have a government who make regulations and rules for people to follow."
Reverend Taufao says the church's leaders plan to meet with the Prime Minister when he returns to the country next week in the hope of reaching a resolution.
