Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa “has and will receive over $1.4 billion in allocated relief and stimulus funding to help keep our people safe from the negative effects of the coronavirus,” said Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga in ASG’s COVID & American Rescue Plan Act Funds Summary report distributed to lawmakers on Monday.

In his Samoan address to the joint Fono session on Monday, the governor gave a summary of COVID-19 related funds that the territory has now or will receive of over $1.4 billion, saying American Samoa has also been allocated and will receive soon funds to support counties and village districts — which comes from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Lemanu said funds for each district are allocated and appropriated by the federal government based on population and that his Administration has nothing to do with how that money is divided and distributed.

In a COVID related summary funds report to the Fono, the governor explained that the $1.4 billion is the territory’s allocations from three federal COVID-19 laws — Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was enacted into law in March this year.

Lemanu explained that the initial funding provided in March 2020 is completing its cycle — such as the coronavirus relief fund of $35 million, its remaining balance is being utilized to repatriate our stranded residents home safely.

He also says that Economic Impact Payments (EIP) — or stimulus checks — of over $130 million have been distributed directly to the people to help provide relief along with all local tax refunds and Additional Child Tax Credit payments.

Furthermore, the payroll protection program (PPP) through the U.S Small Business Administration and local lending institutions has fully supported “our businesses with over $28 million in PPP loans and economic injury disaster loans to small businesses,” he said.

Other federal entities provide direct funding to residents such as local farmers and the fishing industry, he noted.

According to the governor, the ARPA funds specific to the Governor’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds combined with the federal Education Stabilization Funds (ESF), which supports both private and public school sectors combined, is the bulk of the funding allocation.

“These critical funds will support our new state-of-the-art hospital, improved technology expansion, and provide health safety guidelines for our children and communities,” he said, noting that other funding allocations that have been disbursed to local residents and will be in future projects supporting various programs.

The Administration plans to conduct outreach and notification of the various program eligibilities and the application process. And the report provides names of projects and programs along with their funding allocation for all COVID-19 related funding.

Last month the governor, via executive order, established the American Rescue Plan Act Oversight Office, which is part of the Governor’s Office, to — among other things — monitor and assure compliance with reporting and certification of ARPA funds to the territory. This new office is headed by Keith Gebauer. (See Samoa News edition June 25th for details.)

According to the Administration’s “Mid-Year Performance Report”, distributed to lawmakers on Monday, the new ARPA Oversight Office is currently conducting research and preparations to support the Governor’s approved American Samoa ARPA Spending Plan, tentatively scheduled to be completed by July 26th.

“The general public and all stakeholders input and comments will be collected before finalization of the official American Samoa ARPA Spending Plan,” according to the report, which summarized breakdown of specific COVID related funds that have and will be given to American Samoa.

Meanwhile, the governor informed lawmakers that the U.S Congress is currently reviewing the “Invest in American Act”, federal legislation, which he says “will provide additional funds to bolster and improve our deteriorating infrastructure.”