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Fautuaina afioga Senatoa ofisa Lesitala e toe iloilo le latou si’itaga

[l-r] Territorial Registrar, Taito S. White (who heads the Office of the Territorial Registrar); Assistant Attorney General, Andrew Sunia, who is the legal counsel for the TerritorialRegistrar’s Office, and Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — E ui e le i aloaia fa’aletulafono fuafuaga a le Ofisa o le Lesitala mo le siitia lea o totogi o a latou tautua, aemaise lava i le lesitalaina o suafa matai, peita’i ua mae’a ona taoto atu i ai se fautuaga mai afioga i Senatoa i se iloiloga sa fa’ataunu’uina i le vaiaso na te’a nei, ina ia toe silasila toto’a le Ofisa i le latou si’itaga mo le lesitalaina o suafa matai.

O se iloiloga sa fa’ataunu’uina e le Komiti o le Fa’agaioiga a le malo a le Senate, na iloiloina ai le mataupu e fa’atatau i siitaga mo le lesitalaina o suafa matai. O le iloiloga sa ta’ita’ia lea e le afioga i le ali’i Senatoa ia Nuanuaolefeagaiga S. Nua, e sui tulaga ai i le Ta’ita’i Komiti, afioga Galea’i M. Tuufuli e le i auai.

O molimau sa auai e aofia ai le Loia Sili o le malo, tofa Talauega Eleasalo Ale, o le Loia Sili lagolago ia Andrew Sunia, o ia fo’i lea o le Faufautua mo le Ofisa o le Lesitala a le malo, faapea ma le Lesitala a le malo, susu i le matua ia Taito S. White

E le i tu’u mamaina e ni isi o afioga i Senatoa sa auai i le iloiloga le mataupu e fa’atatau i le fuafuaga a le Ofisa o le Lesitala, ina ia si’i le lesitalaina o suafa matai mai le $12 o loo i ai i le $500.

Saunoa le ali’i loia lagolago ia Sunia e fa’apea, i se faatalatalanaga sa faia ma le Loia Sili atoa ai ma le Lesitala e uiga i lenei mataupu, na latou manatu ai, e foliga mai o le totogi e $12 mo le lesitalaina o le suafa matai, ua atagia mai ai le “fa’atalale” o tagata i le taua o le measina a aiga ma le atunu’u.

“Ia te a’u lava ia, sa tatau ona $1,000 le si’itaga fou mo le lesitalaina o le suafa matai, peita’i i le fa’aiuga o le matou talanoaga sa faia, na malilie ai loa e tu’u mai i lalo i le $500, ona o le vaai alofa fo’i i ni isi o aiga e le tutusa uma le malolosi o le tamaoaiga,” o le saunoaga lea a Sunia.

Na taua atili e Sunia e fa’apea, o se tasi o manatu sa latou talanoaina, e foliga mai ua avea le $12 ma auala ua faigofie ai i le tagata o loo nofo i fafo, ona malaga mai ma faila lana fa’alavelave i se faaiuga ua tasi i ai le aiga potopoto, mo se tasi o le a avea ma Sa’o o le aiga. A e atonu o le sii i luga i le $500, o le a toe to manatu ai le tagata o le a fa’alavelave, poo talafeagai lana gaioiga o le a faia.

Na matua teena malosi e le afioga i le ali’i Senatoa ia Muagugutia Tauoa le fuafuaga ina ia sii le totogi o le lesitalaina o suafa matai.

Saunoa Muagututia e fa’apea, afai o le mafu’aaga lea ua ala ai ona manatu le Ofisa o Lesitala e sii le totogi e lesitala ai, ina ia faigata i le tagata o le a fa’alavelave, lona uiga e le o sa’o le mafua’aga o le fa’amoemoe.

“O le manulauti a le faigamalo lenei e fa’amuamua tagata, ae foliga mai i le siitaga o le $12 e aga’i atu i le $500 e le taitai talafeagai. O le a pologa le atunu’u i nei faiga ae le o talafeagai i lo’u mafaufau. E sili ai pe a outou o e toe iloilo se isi siitaga tau feololo ma talafeagai mo le atunu’u,” o le saunoaga lea a le afioga a Muagututia.

Na lagolagoina e le afioga i le Senatoa ia Faiivae Iuli Godinet ma le afioga i le Senatoa ia Tuiagamoa Tavai le finagalo tete’e o Muagugutia i lenei si’itaga maoa’e.

Saunoa Faiivae e fa’apea, o lea fa’atoa mae’a atu ona pasia e le Fono Faitulafono le Paketi a le malo mo le tausaga tupe fou lenei 2019. I totonu o lea paketi, o lo o aofia uma ai alagatupe e fa’atino ai galuega ta’itasi a le malo, e le mana’omia la ona tau toe o solo le malo e saili ni tupe e fa’atino ai ana galuega, ua i ai uma i totonu o le paketi.

I le tulaga i matai lesitala, saunoa Faiivae e fa’apea, e tele nu’u o lo o i ai matai e le o lesitalaina, ae o i latou o matai fai upu e ta’iulu i ai le toatele o aiga, o ni isi fo’i o nei matai o loo aofia i totonu o le saofaiga a nu’u taitasi.

“Afai nei la e sii i le $500 le totogi e lesitala ai le matai, ae faafefea la le anoanoa’i o isi matai e le lesitalaina ae o loo aofia i latou i saofaiga a le tele o nu’u ma afioaga i le atunu’u,” o le saunoaga lea a Faiivae.

“E le toe avatua se manatu o lea ua taoto le finagalo o le afioga i le ali’i Senatoa ia Muagututia, ae o le si’itaga lea e $500, o le matua maualuga lava, tusa ua 400% lea ua sii ai le totogi sa i ai. Sa tatau ona outou silasila i se isi tulaga, pe tau tuu tuu teisi ifo i lalo. E silafia foi e le maota lenei le taua o le polokalame mo le lesitalaina o matai, ae o le fautuaga, e sili pe a toe iloilo a outou siitaga. O totonu o le matou nu’u pe a ma le 50% o matai o loo aofia i le fuafuaina o le nu’u e le o leistalaina, ae ua tutusa lelei matafaioi a matai e le o leistala ma matai ua lesitala,” o le saunoaga lea a Faiivae.

Saunoa Tuiagamoa e fa’apea, e foliga mai o lenei siitaga ua sopo laa tele ma ua le talafeagai ma le tulaga o le atunu’u. Afai o le mafua’aga ina ia taofia ai le tagata o loo fa’alavelave i suafa o aiga, e talitonu Tuiagamoa, e le sa’o lea mafua’aga.

“E leai se mea e atugalu ai fua le Ofisa o Lesitala i le lesitala ma le faalavelave, foliga mai o le a saisaitia e le Lesitala aia tatau o tagata e lesitala ai a latou suafa matai. Pau le galuega a le Lesitala e fai o le faamaumau ma ave i le fa’amasinoga, o le fa’amasinoga e faia le faaiuga ae le o le Lesitala. Ou te matua tete’e lava a’u ia i lenei si’itaga,” o le saunoaga lea a Tuiagamoa.

E le i nofo lelei i le finagalo o le afioga i le ali’i Senatoa ia Fa’amausili Mau Jr le manatu e fa’apea, o le $12 sa i ai e foliga mai ua faatalale le atunuu i ana measina. Saunoa Faamausili, sa tatau ona fai se iloiloga faalaua’itele ina ia silafia ai e le atunu’u atoa lenei mataupu.

Ae na faamanino e le Loia Sili e fa’apea, o lo o faaauau pea laasaga uma e tatau mo le faamoemoe a le Ofisa e suia le tulafono. O loo tatala fo’i le avanoa i le atunuu e faaoo atu ai ni o latou finagalo poo ni fesili tusitusia, ina ia mafai ai fo’i e le ofisa ona tu’uina mai la latou tali tusitusia.

O le tausaga e 1987 e pei ona taua e molimau, na gata mai ai le siitaga mo le lesitalaina o suafa matai, ma ua a’e ai se finagalo, ua alaga tatau ona toe fuafua se isi si’itaga fou.

E ui i le ata fa’ataoto ua fuafuaina e le Ofisa o le Lesitala mo le latou si’itaga, peita’i na saunoa le afioga i le Loia Sili e fa’apea, e fai lava i le tulaga e fulisia i ai finagalo o le atunu’u.

HEARING ON TERRITORIAL REGISTRAR’S PROPOSAL TO RAISE ITS FEES

The hearing was requested by several senators after learning through the media, the government’s proposed plan to raises the cost of services provided by the Territorial Registrar’s Office.

Senators, who are all traditional leaders and registered matais, have serious concerns over raising the fee to register a matai title from $12 to $500. Senators who spoke during the hearing called on the government to revisit the proposed hike — which Sunia says he wants increased from $12 to $1,000 but agreed with Talauega and Taito to set it at $500.

Sunia explained that the last time the fees were hiked was back in 1987 and the increase is long overdue, saying the cost of operations has increased over the years. He says it’s not the intention of ASG to make money by raising fees, but pointed to the importance of Samoan traditional chiefly titles.

He describes the current $12 to register a matai tile as “fa’atalale” (or making the matai title less important) while a higher fee indicates the very importance of a matai in the Samoan culture.

Sen. Fa’amausili Mau Mau Jr., appeared offended with Sunia using the Samoan word “fa’atalale”, when it comes to matai titles, which the senator pointed out are Samoan treasures. Two other senators also didn’t agree with the use of the word “fa’atalale” in connection with matai titles.

During his opening statement, Sunia further told the committee that one of the issues raised during the discussions — including the AG and Taito — is that it appears that $12 is making it easy for those residing off island to come back to file challenges against the person chosen by the extended family to be the family Sa’o.

Perhaps, he said, raising the fee up to $500 will have those individuals rethink their course of action.

Such a statement didn’t sit well with Sen. Muagututia Tauoa, saying that if raising the fee is to make it difficult for people to file a challenge — that is totally wrong. He reminded the witnesses that the Lolo Administration’s theme is “People First” but that is not the case with the proposed fee hike.

There were also strong objections from Sens. Fai’ivae Iuli Godinet and Tuiagamoa Tavai.

Talauega explained that the Territorial Registrar’s Office is going through an administrative process — in accordance with the law — by seeking public comments that are to be made in writing before finalizing the proposed fees.

Deadline for comment submission is 4p.m. today. See Samoa News edition Sept. 25 for more details.