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Samoa’s Attorney General says a provision in a draft law change defining a Samoan citizen has been dropped.

The Attorney General’s Office is currently working to update Samoa’s 1974 Acts Interpretation Act.

Aumua Ming Leung Wai says in a statement the definition of a Samoan citizen is already in the law books, in section 3 of the Samoan Status Act of 1963, but he admits that that Act is also old and needs reviewing.

Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autgavaia says the Attorney General also aired his views to local media this week.

Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga has acknowledged that there is a drug problem in the territory and has convened a group of his directors to tackle the problem.
 
Samoa News asked the governor as to what the administration is doing given the increase of drugs entering the territory through the U.S. Post Office.
 

With little fanfare in the Samoa press, the Samoa government is pressing for the Acts Interpretation Bill 2013, a law change that defines among other things, what it means to be 'a Samoan person'. A retired Samoan lawyer is adamant it will have a detrimental impact on customary land rights for many Samoans living outside of the country.
 

Congressman Faleomavaega Eni’s office has been informed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) that is highly improbable it will grant American Samoa a cabotage waiver which would allow a foreign carrier to operate in out and out of the territory, other than under emergency circumstances.
 
This is according to the Congressman’s letter this week to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga, who requested during a territorial leaders' meeting last month to look into getting a cabotage waiver for the territory.