Excerpt from islandsbusiness.com
SAMOA faces a double-edged sword as labour mobility schemes flood the economy with remittances while draining local talent.
Monthly remittances soar to $ST70 million (Samoan Tala), accounting for a staggering 35 per cent of GDP, yet the exodus of skilled workers threatens essential public services and local businesses.
Amid rising wage disparities and emotional tolls on families, the government grapples with balancing economic benefits against the stark realities of community disruption.
“The schemes began in 2007 with New Zealand seasonal work and expanded with Australian programs in 2012 and 2018, merging into PALM to cover multiple industries,” said Dr Masami Tsujita, an Associate Professor of Development Studies at the National University of Samoa.