The Central Bank of Samoa (), situated in the capital

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban A ...

beside the main government buildings, issues the Samoan currency, the

Samoan tālā The tālā is the currency of Samoa. It is divided into 100 ''sene''. The terms ''tālā'' and ''sene'' are cognates of the English words ''dollar'' and '' cent'' in the Samoan language. Its symbol is $, or ''WS$'' to distinguish it from other cu ...

as well as regulates and manages the exchange rate with foreign currencies. In its role as the central bank for the government and the country, it is also responsible for the registration and supervision of

commercial bank A commercial bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and gives loans for the purposes of consumption and investment to make a profit. It can also refer to a bank or a division of a larger bank that deals with whol ...

s. The current governor since 2011 has been Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari. Legally, the bank follows a mandate pursuant to the Central Bank of Samoa Act 1984, the Financial Institutions Act 1996 and the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2000. The Central Bank of Samoa was preceded by Monetary Board established in 1975. The bank is engaged in developing policies to promote

financial inclusion Financial inclusion is the availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services. It refers to processes by which individuals and businesses can access appropriate, affordable, and timely financial products and services—which ...

and is a member of the

Alliance for Financial Inclusion The Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) is a policy leadership alliance owned and led by member central banks and financial regulatory in developing countries with the objective of advancing financial inclusion. As of February 2025, AFI had 9 ...

. The institution made a Maya Declaration Commitment in 2013 with an intent to build an inclusive financial system in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

that serves all members of society. Its official name in the Samoan language, ''Faletupe Tutotonu o Samoa'', means 'Central Bank (lit. Central Money House) of Samoa'.

Head office

The head office for the bank is situated in the capital

, near the government buildings and by a historic clock tower.

Governors

* William E. Davies, Australian, January 1984 - February 1987 * John A. Howard, Briton, February 1987 - April 1989 *

Leasi Papali'i Tommy Scanlan Leasi Papali'i Tommy Scanlan is a Samoan diplomat who, since April 2012, has served as high commissioner of the Independent State of Samoa to New Zealand, in which capacity he is also dean of the diplomatic corps. He was previously governor of ...

, April 1989 - August 2011 * Atalina Ainuu-Enari, August 2011 -

References

External links

Official site: Central Bank of Samoa

Banks of Samoa Economy of Samoa 1984 establishments in Samoa Banks established in 1984 Government-owned companies of Samoa {{samoa-stub

Head office

Governors

See also

References

External links