KEY POINTS:
Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, wants Samoans in New Zealand to send money and cars back home now it has decided to change to driving on the left.
Tuilaepa said the 120,000-odd Samoans living in New Zealand as well as those in Australia would send right-hand-drive cars, which would help families and boost the economy.
"This is an opportunity for many, many drivers to get a car sent by relatives in New Zealand," he said.
New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services chief executive Raewyn Fox warned families who might feel obliged to pay for cars to spend only what they could afford.
"We do sometimes see the feeling of responsibility to provide things for the family back in Samoa does put the pressure on the family finances here in New Zealand," she said. "If that pressure is going to increase for whatever reason, it may make it difficult for the Samoan families here to cope with that."
Ms Fox was concerned that some families would get into or add to debt.
"In particular, if they are thinking of taking a loan [they should] have a really good, hard look at their budget to make sure its affordable."
Tuilaepa did not think such families would face additional financial pressure.
"In fact the support that we got was overwhelming from New Zealand and Australia. I have been inundated with letters of support."
The Government has not announced the date of the changeover, but the Prime Minister told NZPA it could be September 2009. "From next year, we haven't fixed the month [the changeover will occur]. It could be September to coincide with the school holidays so that pressure would be off."
The change has been hotly contested, with car sale and hire companies set to lose thousands of dollars and other businesses negatively affected.
- NZPA
* Maggie Tait's visit to Samoa was sponsored by the Pacific Cooperation Foundation (www.pcf.org.nz).
