ASG Treasurer Ueligitone Tonumaipe’a has told a Senate committee that it was a directive from Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga to transfer payroll service to the Department of Human Resources, which will handle the management of this service.

Tonumaipe’a testimony was made yesterday during a Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing, which was called to find out more about the transfer — and the legality of making such a transfer — for payroll, which up until this time has been managed and issued by the Treasury Department.

The ASG Treasurer first explained the reason for the payroll transfer, saying it was some time last year that the governor wrote to directors that there is to be no overtime work without prior approval of the governor and DHR.

However, the governor later learned that overtime was still being accumulated and paid, despite failing to get prior approval for that overtime, he said, adding that the governor raised his concerns again with the directors for failing to follow the set overtime procedures.

Tonumaipe’a said that it was in June this year that he and DHR director (Sonny Thompson) were contacted by the governor about payroll to be transferred to DHR, effective Oct. 1 this year. He also said that he was directed to work on the “standard operating procedures” for payroll once it had been transferred to DHR, whose responsibility will only be for “management” of payroll, while “printing and disbursing” payroll checks remains with Treasury.

Responding to committee questions, Tonumaipe’a said he disagreed with the transfer, but this was a directive from the governor and he had no input on the matter. He stressed that he was given instructions by the governor to move forward with the transfer.

And while he was against the transfer, he said the DHR director agreed to it, claiming that payroll service is a responsibility of Human Resources.

Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie thanked Tonumaipe’a for the full explanation and pointed out that the Senate had confirmed Tonumaipe’a as Treasurer because “we believe and have full confidence in your ability to carry out the work as Treasurer."

And based on Tonumaipe’a testimony, Gaoteote said the problem is within the “system” which needed to be fixed, instead of transferring the payroll service. He also said that the problem of not complying with overtime procedures — requiring prior approval — falls squarely on the shoulders of cabinet directors, and again, was not a reason to transfer the payroll.

According to the Senate President, the DHR is in charge of recruitment of employees, and is now in charge of payroll, and that means there is “no check and balance” in the system. Additionally, there are now two cabinet directors overseeing the entire issue of ASG payroll.

However, he and other senators made it clear that while the Senate has no authority over the actions of the governor in the Executive Branch, senators are still very concerned with the lack of “checks and balances” in the new system. He also said payroll is the responsibility of Treasury under local statute.

“I truly believe in you as Treasurer to oversee payroll service,” Gaoteote said. (Tonumaipe’a only took over the role of Treasurer just a few months ago, following the sudden death of the late Treasurer Dr. Falema’o ‘Phil’ M. Pili.)

Sen. Nua Saoluaga agreed with Gaoteote's statements, saying that transferring payroll to DHR might make things worse instead of fixing the cause of the problem, which is making sure that all directors comply with overtime procedures.

He also said that that this is a new policy for the government in which DHR not only controls the hiring of ASG employees and also handles working hours of employees as well as what they should be paid. “So there is, for sure, no check and balance in our system,” he said.

Asked as to how overtime is recorded for employees, Tonumaipe’a said that this information is recorded on the employee’s time card, which is scanned into the government’s computer system, and his office does not have the manpower to individually check every time card for overtime that is not authorized to be paid.

Sen. Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono said that if a person works overtime, that person should get paid overtime. However, he said it's very difficult to understand this matter when a Treasurer signs payroll checks without knowing details of what he is signing or paying to the employee.

He and other senators also said that the lingering issue is the legality of transferring payroll to DHR, when this has been a function of the ASG Treasury Department for many, many years.