19 Oct 2009

Samoa government says rebuilding of tsunami homes to begin by end of week

2:30 pm on 19 October 2009

Work to rebuild homes in Samoa that were destroyed by the tsunami is to begin before the end of the week.

Following a special cabinet meeting over the weekend, the government's resolved to pay for the rebuilding of about 600 homes at a cost of just under seven and a half thousand US dollars each.

Cabinet's chief executive says the homes will be strong enough to withstand not only another tsunami but also cyclone conditions.

The Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, says tomorrow a cabinet subcommittee will begin negotiations with building firms.

"In making this decision by the government we realised that we have to have inbuilt controls to ensure that the money will go directly to the building and the only sure way of doing that is to get it through a firm providing supplies of materials and the money goes therefore to the companies."

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says in this way families will not be able to spend the money on a car or other purchase.

He says the houses will all follow the same design, that of a typical Samoan fale.