A call for setting the ceiling of salaries for all departments — including semi autonomous agencies — and a possible increase in the salaries of top leaders of the Legislative and Executive branches was made last week during Fono joint budget hearings. Also requested at the hearing was a list outlining salaries for all executive branch directors, to see if their current salaries match the information in the FY 2016 budget document.

Before the start of last Thursday’s budget hearings for four ASG entities, Rep. Larry Sanitoa pointed out that it appears that some cabinet directors have already received their salary increases in FY 2015, although two directors confirmed during the hearings they had not.

He asked the joint budget committee for a complete list of directors, along with their current salary levels to check against salaries outlined in FY 2015 and the proposed FY 2016 budgets.

Port Administration and Homeland Security directors told the committee early last week that they hadn’t received their salary increases in FY 2015 as outlined in the budget document, which shows a higher salary than what they are currently receiving. (See Samoa News edition last Thursday for details, including comments from the Governor’s Office.)

Responding to Sanitoa’s request, Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman Sen. Laolagi F.S. Vaeao, co-chair of the joint budget hearings, says a list of the current salaries of directors will be requested through the ASG Office of Budget and Planning. He also pointed out that the committee can ask each director during their budget hearing regarding their FY2015 salaries as well as salaries proposed for FY 2016.

When Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale appeared for his budget hearing, he was asked by both Sens. Magalei Logovi’i and Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, if he is getting the $73,000 annually as cited in the budget and he responded “yes” for FY 2015. Talauega, whose salary is the same for FY 2016, explained that he was offered the $73,000 when appointed to the post and this was the same salary level for the previous Attorney General Afoa Moega Lutu, who is now a senator.

He said there is also a provision in his contract, which is probably the same provision for other directors, in which he gets $300 a month to pay for cell phone usage, and he informed lawmakers that he bought his own phone.

Tuaolo said the Attorney General’s post is a top position in government and yet he only gets $73,000 annually. He went on to say that salaries for the Fono’s top leaders — referring to the Senate President and House Speaker — are only $30,000 annually per person. And although there are also allowances ($35,000 annually for each Fono leader), he noted that it’s just an allowance — not a salary.

He argued that there are directors making more than the Fono leaders as well as the governor and lieutenant governor. He said that one director makes more than $100,000 annually (referring to ASPA’s executive director, whose salary is $150,000 a year according to the budget document.)

Tuaolo further argued that there should be a ceiling set when it comes to salaries for government directors — including the semi autonomous agencies — in which no one makes more than the governor.

Sen. Galeai Tu’ufuli agreed with Tuaolo saying that is sad to see only $30,000 for each Fono leader and this is the same pay level for a trash collector.

He says it’s the Fono that sets the salaries for their leaders, and if the Fono wants the salaries of the Senate President and House Speaker to be at $75,000 annually it can be done through appropriate legislation.

As for the governor’s salary, Galeai said it should have been $100,000 annually a long time ago. Further, if the leaders of the executive and legislature agree on increasing their salaries, the Fono can approve the appropriate legislation, as long as a funding source is identified in order to comply with the law, which requires a funding source.

He says leaders of these two branches of government must be in agreement with an increase, because there will be problems with the Fono passing salary hikes if the governor disagrees.

And when American Samoa Visitors Bureau executive director David Vaeafe appeared for his agency’s budget hearing, his annual pay of $85,000 was questioned by some lawmakers, but Vaeafe pointed out that his contract, covering salary and housing allowance of $17,000, is set by the board, which currently has only two members — Roy J.D. Jr and Alex Sene Jr.

Learning of only two board members brought more criticism from lawmakers, including Sanitoa who questioned the legality of board decisions, when a quorum of three is required of the five board members. He and other lawmakers also pointed out that this is the same old issue debated during last year’s budget hearings and nothing has been resolved.

Lawmakers didn’t mince their words telling Vaeafe that his salary is too high with a small staff of six, while other executive directors make less than $85,000 annually. (See separate story on other Visitors Bureau issues)

BACKGROUND

Salaries of the governor and lieutenant governor as well as the Senate President, House Speaker and lawmakers are set by law. The governor’s salary is $85,000 while the lieutenant governor is $75,000.

As for Fono salaries, lawmakers can increase the salaries of future Legislatures, but not the current one. For example, the current 34th Legislature cannot hike their own salaries; however, they can hike office allowances for the current Legislature.

The Senate President and House Speaker each makes $30,000 annually, while lawmakers in both chambers receive $25,000 a year, and the Swains Island delegate receives $20,000.

For the office allowance, it’s $40,000 each for the Senate President and House Speaker and $30,000 for each member of the Fono — including the Swains island delegate.

While the allowance is non taxable, a lawmaker can claim this as a part of his or her salary — meaning that the income tax deduction usually occurs.

Samoa News should also point out that the salary for the CEO of ASPA is based on the profession and the market, according to ASPA CEO Utu Abe Malae. He stated that the profession establishes the minimum skill set required for the job. The market value relates to the difficulty of attracting someone for the position. The median for a utility the size of ASPA is: $177,477 or $180,001 based on revenue and customers respectively (2015 Survey).”

Utu pointed out that the survey does not consider the pay of politicians or other positions not relevant to the market for managers of utilities.

As to the directors’ pay raises, responding to Samoa News inquiries, the governor’s executive director Iulogologo Joseph Pereira told Samoa News last week that a few directors received salary increases in 2015. Iulogologo explained, as in 2015, “the awarding of salary increases for directors in 2016, if warranted, is predicated on performance and not to incentivize political support.”