National ID Registration $50 Tala Stimulus Payment
As part of the second phase of its COVID-19 stimulus package, the Government of Samoa (via the Samoa Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Finance) paid every citizen who registered for the new National ID / digital identification system a one-time WST $50 tala cash payment. Registration was merged with household listing and mapping ahead of the 2021 Census and ran across Upolu and Savaii from roughly August to November 2020. The payment was funded entirely by the Government of Samoa's stimulus package and doubled as both a COVID-era relief measure and an incentive to drive uptake of the national digital ID rollout.
Universal one-time payment, COVID-19 stimulus, National ID / digital identity registration incentive, Census-linked, Pacific Islands, Samoa
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Samoa Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Finance, Government of Samoa
- City
- Apia
- Country
- Samoa
Contact
- Phone
- +685 62000
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 212,000
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Total Amount
- 50
- Avg. Per Month
- 16.67
- Payment frequency
- Lump Sum
- How long the program lasts
- 3 months
- Distribution Type
- Cash
- Benefit details
Each Samoan citizen who registered for the National ID initiative received a one-off WST $50 tala cash payment, paid out in person by Samoa Bureau of Statistics/Ministry of Finance teams as they visited households across Upolu and Savaii. The initiative combined the 2020 population household listing/mapping update (ahead of the November 2021 Census) with sign-up for Samoa's new National ID project. The Samoa Audit Office observed cash handling and payout controls during the registration drive. The program tallied over WST $10 million tala in payments, out of a planned ~WST $12 million budget, before the Prime Minister officially closed registration in November 2020 with more than 212,000 people counted.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Any Samoan citizen or resident counted in the household listing exercise and who registered for the National ID system was eligible for the $50 tala payment; it functioned as a universal per-capita payment rather than being means-tested or targeted to a specific subgroup.
Health
- Health conditions
- Covid
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen
Geography
- Countries covered
- Samoa
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Complementary program enrollment required
- National ID registration / 2020 Census household listing and mapping exercise (the $50 tala payment was directly bundled with and conditional on completing this registration)
Application Process
- How to apply
Citizens did not apply remotely; Samoa Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Finance field teams visited households across Upolu and Savaii between roughly August and November 2020 as part of a combined census household listing/mapping and National ID registration drive. Residents registered in person, provided identity documentation, and were paid the WST $50 tala cash incentive on the spot at the time of registration.
- Selection process
No selection process beyond universal registration - every citizen who came forward and completed National ID registration and identity verification during the drive received the payment. Samoa Audit Office staff observed the cash handling and payout process to verify controls and confirm identities.
