Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Samoa ngo says child street vendor problem getting out of control

Posted at 23:25 on 25 November, 2009 UTC

Samoa’s Victim Support Group says that work is ongoing with the Ministry of Justice to find solutions to the problem of child street vendors.

Spokesperson Viliamu Paese says that the number of children selling at all hours of the day is unfortunately on the rise and it is getting out of control.

He says that there is already a law prohibiting children selling out on the streets at least during school hours, but that law isn’t well enforced at the moment by authorities.

“Samoa Victim Support Group believes that the law is there and it is just a matter of enforcing it. We already have the law (on) education for it to be compulsory and the parents to be fined $1000 tala if they don’t abide.”

Samoa Victim Support Group spokesperson Viliamu Paese says more public awareness especially targeting parents is needed.