Overview

Samoa is an independent State in the Pacific Ocean near the equator 3,300km from Wellington, New Zealand. It was called Western Samoa until 1997 when it changed its name to Samoa which is distinct from American Samoa. The capital is Apia. International air travel exists from Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Hawaii, Fiji, American Samoa and other countries of the world into Samoa. The time zone is GMT + 13.

Samoa has been populated for over 3,500 years. From 1918-1962 it was under colonial rule from New Zealand. The official languages are Samoan and English. Its legal system is based on English common law and local customs. In 2016 its population was 194,320. It is a parliamentary democracy and is a member of the British Commonwealth, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the OECD Peer Review Group, Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Anti Money Laundering, the Group of International Finance Centre Supervisors (GIFCS) and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).

Samoa’s international finance centre is administered and regulated by the Samoa International Finance Authority (“SIFA”). Being in existence for more than thirty (30) years, it has proven to be a successful and premier international finance centre in the South Pacific Region and is a significant contributor to the local economy. SIFA aims to secure a place for Samoa on the Global Market as a reputable international financial services centre. Provision is made for International Companies, (IC), Limited Life Companies, (LLC), foundations, trusts and international trusts, as well as mutual funds, banks and insurance companies. Provision is made for dual language certificates.

Samoa’s strong legal frameworks to address money-laundering and counter terrorism activities are in accordance with international best practice standards and compliance. Its institutions are well regulated to ensure compliance with international standards set by bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)/Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), the Group of International Finance Centre Supervisors (GIFCS) and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).

The office of Intershore is located at Intershore Suite, Le Sanalele Complex, PO Box 608, Apia, Samoa.