American Samoa hosts annual APIPA conference — this year it was virtural

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government Territorial Audit Office held its opening ceremony of the 2021 Annual Association of Pacific Islands Public Auditors (APIPA) Conference on Sunday, August 22, 2021, with Acting Director Territorial Audit Office Tofa Sualauvi Su’a as Chairman.

APIPA has more than three decades of training experience, matching their partnership with the Pacific & Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI). APIPA 2021 will help maintain needed training and expand new approaches to build our governments’ important audit and accountability efforts.

Acting Governor Talauega Ale offered welcoming remarks and highlighted the importance of financial professionals ensuring public trusts by being accountable and transparent. “Public trust is the currency that allows the government to flourish. Without it, we cannot exist. Accountability, transparency, integrity are all elements of public trust.” He continued, “Government accountants, auditors, and financial professionals play a vital role in securing and fostering trust, and we are excited to have this opportunity to better equip our people with the appropriate tools to do the difficult job of helping leaders of the Pacific Community maintain public trust.”

APIPA Chairman Tofa addressed and thanked the various departments and agencies for such an opportunity. “We appreciate the United States Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs, as well as the Pacific & Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI), for their ongoing support of APIPA and our annual conferences. In addition, we thank Graduate School USA for their work securing outstanding instructors. Finally, we thank the Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General for their continued support of the APIPA principals and offices. Although this pandemic has canceled a physical event this year, the virtual APIPA Conference will help bridge our Pasefika leaders from oceans apart.”