Budget hearing hits snags over contract workers converted to career service

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA —  Converting contract workers to career service employees and an acting director testifying before the Fono during Joint Budget Committee hearings were two target subjects raised by lawmakers during the review of the Territorial Energy Office budget for FY 2021.

According to the official ASG website (www.americansamoa.gov), this ASG agency’s director is Taliga Vaiolo, who was introduced as the office’s “director” during a cabinet meeting in November 2018.

But during the budget hearing, Sen. Logoai Siaki questioned the status of the witness, who he says is the acting director, and was never brought before the Fono for confirmation. He said that an acting director shouldn’t be allowed to testify on that agency’s budget, it should only be the director confirmed by the Fono.

The next target question came from Sen. Fonoti Tafa’ifa Aufata, who pointed to a position, in the budget converted from contract worker to career service. And she sought an explanation as well as wanting to how long this person was a contract employee before being converted to career service.

Two other lawmakers followed up on the career service issue, and Vaiolo explained that this individual was on contract for one-year through the Governor’s Office, which also processed the paper work for conversion to career service.

(Samoa News understands that the individual in question is a former faipule and started at the Governor Office before being transferred to the Energy Office.)

House Vice Speaker Fetu Fetui Jr., said such conversion to career service is illegal and this continues to occur. “It’s unconstitutional,” he said, and requested that the Fono look into this serious issue because it has happened many times.

Responding first to the acting director issue, Fono Joint Budget Committee co-chairman Sen. Magalei Logovi’i, who is also chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, said he and co-chair Rep. Vailuiama Steve Leasiolagi don’t have the authority to stop acting directors from testifying. He said the budget hearings must proceed so that the Fono can review the entire budget.

As for contract conversion, Magalei said this issue could be taken up when Human Resource director, Eseneiaso Liu appears for her department’s hearing early next week.

However, Sen. Fa’amausili Mau Mau Jr., was joined by another lawmaker who argued that only directors confirmed by the Fono should testify during budget hearings. Fa’amausili reiterated his argument towards the co-chairs after the Territorial Energy Office budget hearing.

Magalei acknowledged the concern, but said that the budget hearing need to move forward, and Fa’amausili insisted that only directors who are confirmed by the Fono testify. If a confirmed director does not appear, don’t hold the hearing, he said.

The American Samoa Government workforce proposed in fiscal year 2021 reflects an increase of 135 positions compared to the current year, according to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga in his cover letter to Fono leaders.

He explained that total number of positions for FY 2021 is 6,972 compared to 6,837 in FY 2020. “This reflects an overall net increase of 135 positions, which can be attributed to increase in career service employment especially in conversion from contract to career service,” he pointed out.

Of the total workforce, 5,253 are career service — an increase of 9% from FY 2020 — and 1,719 are contract workers — or a 15% decrease from the current fiscal year, according to data provided in the governor’s cover letter.