Archive

The Fono expense report for the first 5 months of FY2013 is a melting pot of expenditures by leaders and most of the lawmakers of our territory that can only be labeled as abuse of our trust, and something needs to be done.
 

Faga’itua High School Senior Government class is hosting its very own Government Summit on Monday, May 20, 2013 at the Fagaitua High School gymnasium from 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. The goal of this Summit is to give Faga’itua High School students the opportunity to address issues they think pose an impact within our government and communities.
 
To make this a reality, Faga’itua High School has invited our very own Eastern District Representatives to discuss, share and dialogue over issues proposed by the Senior Government Class.
 

As of May 6, 2013 the remainder of the $1million for the Eastern District is  $29,804.31 and Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga has said the remaining funds will be used to set up an emergency reserve account. 
 
The three districts, Eastern, Western and Manu’a, each received in 2009, $1million to carry out capital improvement projects from a $20 Million loan the government made with the ASG Employees Retirement Fund.
 

Samoa’s Attorney General says a provision in a draft law change defining a Samoan citizen has been dropped.

The Attorney General’s Office is currently working to update Samoa’s 1974 Acts Interpretation Act.

Aumua Ming Leung Wai says in a statement the definition of a Samoan citizen is already in the law books, in section 3 of the Samoan Status Act of 1963, but he admits that that Act is also old and needs reviewing.

Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autgavaia says the Attorney General also aired his views to local media this week.

The Trial Division of the Lands and Titles Court has awarded the Chiefly Title Fai’ivae to Iuli Alexander Godinet in an order issued earlier this month, signed by Chief Justice Michael Kruse, Chief Associate Judge Logoai Siaki and Associate Judges Mamea Sala Jr and Musau Tasina Tofili.
 
Iuli was represented by Fiti Sunia and opposing counsel Charles Alailima represented Poloa M L Tuliloa, the counter claimant.
 

Renato Curto, the chief executive officer and majority shareholder of Tri Marine Group -  the U.S. based company looking at setting up a cannery in American Samoa next year under its local subsidiary Samoa Tuna Processors Inc. — has joined other local and off-island potential investors pledging their support of the locally based Community Bank of Amerika Samoa (IO).
 

The three major U.S. based tuna canneries have voiced concerns and objections to a federal government proposal to revise regulations under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA) to enhance the requirements for documentation to support labels on tuna products that represent the product as dolphin-safe.
 
Industry sources told Samoa News that the proposed rule change, if adopted, could have serious impact on the tuna canneries and the fishing fleets that service them, due to the additional costs to the canneries to comply with such rules.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has re-established the stray dog task force, similar to the one set up more than five years ago by the Togiola Administration to address the island wide problem.
 
The reestablished task force will also follow goals and mission cited in the executive order issued by Togiola so that this new task force can move forward right away, and additional goals and focuses can be added later via another memo or executive order, if necessary.
 

Jerome Ierome of Tula and Onenoa is the new coordinator for the American Samoa Government’s High Risk Task Force, said Governor’s Legal Counsel Steve Watson, who chairs the High Risk Task Force.
 

The Pene family, through their GSR Pene Foundation are seeking eligible students to apply for Academic and Athletic scholarships — specifically, they are looking for baseball and softball players who want to elevate their game to the next level.