The Samoa Housing Corporation says it has fully settled SAT$5.93 million in outstanding declared dividends covering the financial years 2020 to 2025, closing off a repayment issue that had been hanging over the corporation for several years.
In a press release dated 20 April 2026, SHC said the repayments were carried out under a disciplined strategy that began in April 2023 with an initial payment of SAT$500,000, followed by monthly repayments of SAT$100,000. The final balance of SAT$2,227,365.85 was paid to the Ministry for Public Enterprises on Thursday 16 April.
SHC said the final payment came from its record net profit of SAT$6.6 million for the financial year ending June 2025. The corporation described the full settlement as a sign of stronger financial discipline, accountability and responsible management of public funds.
At the same time, SHC said it had continued to carry out its housing mandate while meeting those dividend obligations. It said lending rates were reduced from 1 March 2024 to make housing finance more affordable, with personal guarantee loan rates dropping from 17 percent to 14 percent, while mortgage loan rates were cut by 1 percent. Those reduced rates remain in place as of April 2026.
The corporation said these steps were part of its wider corporate plan and also aligned with the Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2021/22 to 2025/26. It said the aim was to ease the burden on borrowers, widen access to housing finance and remain profitable at the same time.
The announcement puts SHC in a stronger public position financially, but the wider test will be whether that stronger position translates into easier and more realistic access to housing finance for ordinary Samoan families. For now, the corporation is presenting the dividend settlement, lower lending rates and record profit as signs that it has managed to balance commercial performance with its public responsibility.
This article is based on a press release from the Samoa Housing Corporation dated 20 April 2026.
