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Gov. Lolo reduces ASTCA board to 5

[SN file photo]
Pulele’iite Li’a Tufele named as chairman
reporters@samoanews.com

After making amendments to the 1998 executive order, which created the American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority with the Executive Branch, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has “reconstituted” the ASTCA board of directors.

In amending the 1998 executive order, the governor said that the board now consists of five members who are appointed by the governor for terms of two years, according to the Apr. 21 amendment.

Of the five appointees, two members at-large are to be selected on the basis of character, competence, education, experience and judgment; and at least three members are to be from the private sector, selected on the basis of competence, education, accounting, finance or telecommunications industry experience and judgment.

Additionally the governor appoints the chairman. The new amendments went into effect Apr. 21, according to the copy of the memo released yesterday afternoon by the governor’s office.

In a separate memo, also released yesterday afternoon by the governor’s office, the governor appointed board members, who are reduced from seven down to five. According to the governor, the board members’ terms were not staggered and the board is hereby reconstituted, with the terms noted in order to introduce a staggered format.

According to the memo, the three private sector members are: Pulele’iite Li’a Tufele — who is also appointed as chairman and is to serve two years; while Taiulagi Mauga and Omar Shalhout — are both to serve one-year terms.

The two members at-large, and each serving a two-year term, are Faiivae A. Godinet and Alofagia Nomura.

Samoa News notes that the governor’s memo does not identify Pulele’iite, currently a faipule, and Fai’ivae, currently a senator, as lawmakers.

Lolo asked all concerned to lend their assistance and cooperation to this team, as they move ASTCA into the future.

“Our appreciation is expressed to those board members not being retained for their efforts over the last several years, which have resulted in the roll-out of the BLAST Project and the bringing online of the O3b [satellite] network,” Lolo said.