The Whip for the Tautua Party, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, has reminded Parliament that “a wife is the love of your life, not an asset.”
{googleAds}<script async src="http://www.samoaobserver.ws///pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
The Faleata West M.P. made the comment in response to Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ileleMalielegaoi, when Parliament reconvened on Tuesday.
“Your wife is not an asset,” said Lealailepule. “She is the love of your life.”
The exchange was made during the debate of the Personal Property Securities Amendment Bill 2014 where Tuilaepa claimed that even your wife could be used as an asset to secure a loan.
About the bill, the assets being used as security “are not new to us,” Tuilaepa said.
“Plantations have been used (to guarantee loans) by the Development Bank for a long time,” he said.
“But like what the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned, these things are required by the banks; cars, beds, television and your wife. It’s okay if your wife is not too old.”
Tuilaepa later added that “Banks need assets, they don’t need the Member of Parliament or your wife.”
Lealailepule, however, questioned the legislation. He was particularly concerned that with the bill only passed last year, why has the government suddenly moved to amend it.
“This law is not even a year old and it’s being amended already. Why?”
Opposition Leader, Palusalue Fa’apo II wondered if the banks would accept things like fine mats and plantations as security for small loans.
“I would’ve thought that the legislation would include fine mats and plantations,” said Palusalue.
He then told a story.
“A man from our constituency came with a television to me and said he’ll use it to guarantee his loan. He wanted $200 but when he sought the opinion from the bank, he was rejected. So why did that happen when the law clearly stipulates otherwise?”
Palusalue pointed out that the reality of life in Samoa is that when there is a fa’alavelave people turn to banks for loans.
At that point, Tuilaepa intervened.
“That is not how things are done, to just carry a T.V in there,” he told Palu.
“It shows how shallow the man from your constituency is…what’s here is a registry and nowadays you don’t just carry your TV in there and expect it to be accepted."
“When you do that people will automatically think that you’re a thief because they do that.”
The Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Manu’alesagalala Enokati Posala, who shares the same constituency as Palausalue, took the floor.
He said people from his constituency don’t go to the banks when they are in need.
“They either go to the sea or to their plantations,” he said.
Lealailepule pointed out that the legislation required people to be registered by using a number rather than their names.
“Any loan is registered under your name not some kind of number,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo agreed.
He said the amendment proposes a change to add names to the registry.
“That is something that was left out from the electronic system that should’ve been included,” he said.
Fonotoe, who is the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, read the bill for its second reading on Tuesday.
<!-- 336x280 (bottom-article) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}