Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga have signed two appropriations bills that were passed by the Fono during the last regular session and special session.
One appropriates $36 million of surplus local revenues collected in Fiscal year 2023 to cover spending by the executive branch that had not been approved by the Fono in the last fiscal year.
- $21.5 million is for infrastructure projects in Tutuila and Aunuu
- $10.4 million for infrastructure projects in the Manu’a islands
- $2.5 million for the local match for Medicaid and
- $1.5 million is to pay back US Treasury covid funding that ASG used to purchase the MV Pago Pago, that was deemed an unallowable cost.
Last month, the High Court appointed attorney Aaron Warren of the law office of Mooney Wieland and Warren as the Independent Prosecutor to probe violations of the budget law when the executive used the $36 million without the Fono’s approval.
The IP appointment was requested via a resolution that the Senate passed in the last regular session.
The second money bill that the Governor signed appropriates $700,000 of unobligated and unexpended revenues from Fiscal Year 2022 to supplement the FY 2024 budget.
The funding will go towards American Samoa’s participation at the Festival of Pacific Arts in June, and also the Samoan Heritage Week in Hawaii. The bill does not give a breakdown on how much will be spent on the festival and how much will go towards the heritage week.
The Governor thanked the Fono leaders for the effort they, and their colleagues, invested in reviewing the bills and said, “May we continue to work together to address the needs of our territory.”
