Admin fully supports acting director nominations ahead of confirmation
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The new administration has extended its full support to nominations of acting directors, marking an important first step toward its commitment to honest governance, according to General Memorandum No. 012-25, which was released and submitted to the Fono naming the nominees for acting directors ahead of the Fono confirmation hearing.
The memo indicates that Governor Pulaali i Nikolao Pula and Lt. Governor Pulumataala Ae Ae Jr. are aware of the concerns raised by ASG employees regarding potential terminations by the Acting Directors. In accordance with the principles of good governance, the public is urged to note that these employees have not been terminated, as reported, but are on notice pending confirmation of the Acting Directors by the Fono.
The Deputy Directors have opted to take leave until approval is granted by the Senate. The Acting Directors are fully aware of the responsibilities and limitations inherent in their roles, acknowledging that their appointments are provisional and remain subject to confirmation by the Fono.
The memo says that as the new administration begins its work, “progress will take time, and the governor remains empathetic to these situations as he leads ASG in addressing ongoing financial issues.
“Fully committed to continue serving the people with integrity, he has complete confidence in his cabinet nominees, trusting their abilities to guide the territory toward financial stability and economic development.
“Both Governor Pulaali'i and Lt. Governor Pulumataala extend their best wishes to all appointed directors as they work together.”
The Governor and Lt. Governor have made considerable progress in advancing the operations of their administration, committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure that its services to the people, which remain a top priority, are delivered transparently and with full accountability, the memo concludes.
In the meantime, the Fono has gone into recess for a week, while it awaits submission of the P&P nominations for directors of the departments/ agencies.
Of interest, there has been no mention of an organization chart that shows that while there are directors appointed for departments, the P&P administration may be adding another layer of oversight, which looks like directors of departments will report to a person, which seems to be an “Executive Director” that a group of departments are under and they are directly below the governor and lt. governor.
There has been no mention of compensation packages for the executive directors, especially in light of the hold they have on general fund outlay due to the report of ‘no money’.