A Samoa church's decision to ignore a law requiring ministers to pay income tax is stirring great debate in the country.
Photo: Tipi Autagavaia
The prime minister and the Congregational Christian Church, the country's biggest, are locked in a heated debate over the church's decision to flout the law, which kicks in next month.
The church said ministers should never pay taxes, and at a closed-door general assembly a week ago, a senior minister said the move could lead to the government's downfall.
But the prime minister said church pastors earned good money and such talk from the church was tantamount to holding a gun to the government's head.
Our correspondent in Apia, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, said the issue has stirred heated debate, but there was little chance of the government backing down.
"There's a lot of division with peoples thoughts about taxing of church ministers serving in parishes," he said.
"There are people, you know, quoting what the bible says.
"There are people who've said, that's not what it means, that's what the bible's teaching us. But, you know, the reality of life that we're living, we have a government that makes rules and regulations for people to follow," Autagavaia said.