The Labour & Employment Export Programme (LEEP) Division is mandated under the Labour and Employment Relations Amendment Act 2023 to facilitate and administer the placement of Samoan citizens in overseas employment under bilateral agreements with other countries. The LEEP was initially known and established as the Seasonal Employment Unit under the Ministry of Prime Minister (MPMC) in 2007, and transitioned as the LEEP Division to the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour (MCIL) in July 2017.

Following a cabinet reshuffle in October 2023, the LEEP Division was transferred from the Minister of Commerce, Industry & Trade’s portfolio to the Minister of Finance’s portfolio under the Ministry of Finance. The new office outside the Ministry of Finance, located at the SNPF Building was officially opened on the 26th of July 2024. A LEEP Taskforce was established under Cabinet Directive and is chaired by the Minister of Finance to provide oversight to the program.

The importance of our function is underpinned by its inclusion in the Pathway for the Development of Samoa (PDS) 2021/22 – 2025/26, under Key Strategic Outcome Two (2): Diversified and Sustainable Economy, Key Priority Area 10: Increased Labour Mobility.  The schemes can also be linked to other outcomes and priority area such as:

Owing to the scope of the impacts of Labour Mobility, there is close and intersecting linkages of  work undertaken by the Ministry of Finance with other line Ministries and agencies which includes but not limited to:  Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) , Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour (MCIL) , Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), Samoa Public Service Commission (PSC), Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS), Samoa Qualifications Authority (SQA),  Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) and Samoa Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on our work, please download the Ministry of Finance Annual Report 2023/2024.