Samoa




	Samoa

Samoa

Key Corporate Features
General Information
Company Information
Compliance

Key Corporate Features

General

Type of Company:	International

Political Stability :	Good

Common or Civil law:	Common

Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Government Authorities :	No

Migration of Domicile Permitted:	Yes

Tax on Offshore Profits:	None

Language of Name:	Latin and other alphabets

Corporate Requirements

Min. No. of Shareholders / Members:	One

Min. No. of Directors / Managers:	One

Corporate Directors / Managers Permitted:	Yes

Company Secretary Required:	Yes

Standard Authorised Share Capital:	US$ 1,000,000

Local Requirements

Registered Office / Agent:	Yes

Company Secretary:	No

Local Directors:	No

Local Meetings:	No

Government Register of Directors / Managers:	No

Government Register of Shareholders / Members:	No

Annual Requirements

Annual Return:	No

Submit Accounts:	No

Recurring Government Costs

Minimum Annual Tax/ Licence Fee	US$ 300

Annual Return Filing Fee	N/A

General Information

Samoa, which comprises two large islands and seven smaller isles, is situated in the centre of the Southern Pacific Ocean, approximately equidistant between Honolulu and Sydney and immediately east of the International Date Line. The Islands have a total land area of approximately 2,727 sq km. The administrative and commercial centre is situated in its capital, Apia.

The population of the Islands is approximately 209,000. Ninety per cent of Samoans are indigenous Polynesians. The balance of the population is part Samoan and part Chinese or of European extraction.

Samoa has been a fully independent nation since 1962 and its Constitution provides for a Parliamentary Government, which combines the traditional Samoan social structure and a democratic voting system. There is a forty-seven member Legislative Assembly which consists of forty-five Matai title holders (the heads of each extended family) who are elected by their peers and two non-Samoan residents who are registered on the Universal Voters Roll. Parliamentary elections are held every three years. The first Superior Court of Samoa possesses and exercises all the jurisdiction, power and authority necessary to administer the laws of Samoa. The Court of Appeal of Samoa hears appeals on any judgement, decree or order of the Supreme Court in either its civil or criminal jurisdiction.

Air services provide direct access to New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands and Hawaii. The country has adequate docks and is well serviced by pacific regional shipping services. Samoa has an excellent international telecommunications system with telex, facsimile and international direct dial facilities via satellite. Agriculture employs 50% of the workforce and contributes more than 50% to GDP and 90% of exports. Tourism has now become the most important growth industry.

The Samoan Polynesian language is dominant but English is widely spoken and is taught in all schools. Samoa has a literacy rate of 97%.

The currency is the Samoan Dollar (Tala).

There are no exchange controls.

The type of law is based on English Common Law.

The principal corporate legalisation is the International Companies Act of 1987, as amended, the International Trusts Act, 1987, the Offshore Banking Act, 1987 and the International Insurance Act, 1988. There is separate corporate legislation for domestic companies.