Samoan Tala

Overview

The Samoan Tālā is the currency unit of Samoa, symbolized by WS$ to distinguish it from other Dollar currencies. The Tālā is subdivided into 100 sene. Tālā and sene are transliterations of the English terms Dollar and cent. The Tālā was introduced in 1967, upon Samoa’s independence from New Zealand, replacing the Pound at 2 Tālā = 1 Pound.

Economy

• The industrial sector is the largest component of the Samoan GDP (~60% GDP), followed by the services sector at (~30% of GDP). Most of the remaining ~10% of GDP is credited to agriculture.
• Samoa's economy has traditionally been dependent on agriculture and fishing locally. In modern times the development aid, private family remittances from abroad and agricultural exports have become key factors in the economy of the nation.
• The Samoan workforce is estimated at 90,000 people. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the workforce, and provides 90% of exports, with coconut cream, coconut oil, noni (Nonu fruit juice, as it is known in Samoa), and copra.

History

• The Samoa Tālā was introduced in 1967, after the country's political independence of New Zealand in 1962. It replaced the Pound at a rate of 2 Samoa Tālā = 1 Pound, then the current exchange rate for the New Zealand Dollar to the Pound.
• The value of the Samoa Tālā was unchanged against the New Zealand Dollar until 1975.
• In 1967, the Bank of Western Samoa introduced notes of 1, 2 and 10 Samoan Tālā.
• Samoan Tālā 5 notes were added in 1980 when the Monetary Board of Samoa took over paper money issuance.
• In 1984, 1 Tālā notes were replaced by coins.
• Polymer notes were also introduced in 1990.
• On August 1, 2008, the central bank issued a new series of five pieces of paper Samoa Tālā 500-100. The two highest denominations (50 and 100 Samoan Tala) are protected with a thread of De La Rue Optiks security that has a transparent window.