Sagaga No. 1 Member of Parliament Loau Keneti Sio has called for a commission of inquiry into Samoa’s power crisis and the ferry that “never was,” while Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt said the country will continue relying on leased generators until the end of the year.
The issues were raised in parliament on Thursday evening during the 2026–2027 budget debate, when Loau questioned why Samoa remained in a power crisis despite major investments in electricity generation. Loau said the outages were affecting families, hospitals and schools, and the public needed to know who was responsible.
“There is a big problem,” Loau told parliament, saying power cuts could not be treated as normal disruptions when essential services were at risk. He called for a commission of inquiry into the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure and the Electric Power Corporation, saying someone must be held liable.
Laaulialemalietoa agreed an inquiry was needed, saying, “someone has to be responsible.” But he also pointed to the former minister responsible, Olo Fiti Vaai, saying the problems began before the current government took office.
The call for an inquiry relates to earlier confusion within the previous government over whether one would be held. Former Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa had said in March last year that she was unaware of plans for a commission of inquiry, despite then Works Minister Olo saying he had emailed the cabinet and the prime minister recommending one.
