Ads by Google Ads by Google

New DOC director fully confirmed after Senate approves nomination 18-0

Former Commerce director Fuiavaili’ili Keniseli Lafaele (left) and new DOC director Petti Tagipo Matila
Senators ask new DOC director how she will deal with sexual harassment
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — If an incident of “sexual harassment” surfaces within the Commerce Department, “we will address it and we will remove that person, there are no questions asked in that regard,” said Petti Tagipo Matila, who is now fully confirmed by the Fono as the DOC director, and answered questions during her Senate confirmation hearing yesterday morning.

Later during the Senate session, Matila received an unanimous 18-0 vote from senators, while the House gave its approval last week.

The issue of sexual harassment occurring in ASG agencies was raised by Sen. Tauili’ili Lauifi Paopao during the hour-long Senate Economic Development/ Ways and Means Committee confirmation hearing for Matila, who served for seven-years as special assistant to the DOC director during the Lolo Administration.

Tauili’ili said sexual harassment is shameful behavior and claimed that it’s probably occurring in all ASG agencies and that such behavior should not be tolerated as it paints a negative image of a department.

He told Matila, if confirmed by the Senate, to “stress” to DOC employees that such action is not tolerated. He asked what Matila would  do if such an incident occurred at DOC and Matila first pointed out that the law would be followed on such matters.

Matila then added that “we will address it and we will remove that person, there are no questions asked in that regard.”

Also raised during the hearing by some senators are long-standing concerns over the many local stores — or “bush stores” — now operated by Asians and it’s Samoans who own these businesses. Matila was asked to look into this important issue since it’s DOC, which oversees the issuance of business licenses.

Sen. Uti Petelo, the committee chairman, queried if there is any funding available through DOC to assist the community impacted by Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018, to which Matila said yes and explained the $23 million allocated to American Samoa by the U.S. Congress under the Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery for Gita.

She said that one of the projects to be addressed through this grant is housing, saying that there are still many families impacted by Gita that up until now, their homes have not yet been returned to better condition.

Another important project, for this funding, is the Tualauta Drainage — from Malaeimi, to Fagaima towards Lions Park — which will also address concerns from senators dealing with flooding in certain areas of Tualauta.

Based on discussion with the Department of Public Works, she said cost of the Tualauta drainage project is $11 million and this cost needs to be firmed up before the project starts.

At the start of the hearing, Uti ask Matila about her plans or priorities for DOC if confirmed by the Fono, to which to she shared a summary of her goals, including the importance of “human and workforce development” for future jobs — especially now with new and improved modern technology.

She said it’s important to push American Samoa’s future generation to focus on jobs in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art — or STEMA. Also important is the development through the “digital economy” especially now with the world using such technology for communication due to COVID-19 pandemic. She says the “digital economy” is in line with expansion of American Samoa’s broadband connection through the American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority.

Another goal for Matila is the development of small businesses, through programs in which they can do business loans, to start a new business or expand an existing one. Also important is “private-public partnership” in the territory as well as working on trades with other Pacific islands countries.

“Attracting new investment to develop the local economy” is another goal, she said, noting that there has been talk about diversification of the local economy  for the future and new investments coming in will achieve this goal.

Another goal is a push for locally made products such as taro, banana, and breadfruit chips, which can be exported to off island markets, said Matila, noting that these are just some of her important goals to help local residents, business and boost economic development.

Senators who spoke during the hearing praised Matila for her service to the government saying that she is well qualified for the directorship post. Matila also received praised for her eloquent opening remarks delivered in Samoan.

With the governor’s new mandate — effective yesterday — for wearing masks and observing social distancing — members of the public in the Senate gallery including news media, observing the confirmation hearing all wore masks. The Senate, whose staff also wore masks, set up chairs with a little bit of social distance for those in the gallery.

However, there’s not much room for the senators’ to social-distance due to the current set-up in the “makeshift” Senate chamber.