Reduction in Public Safety budget due to break away of Marine Patrol and TCF

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Department of Public Safety’s budget has been reduced significantly from $9.68 million to $5.85 million.

This is a result of the removal of the Marine Patrol Division and the Tafuna Correctional Facility from the department’s umbrella.

A total of $4.85 million for DPA is local funding and $1 million is from federal grant aids.

For the Commissioner’s office its budget is $581,000; finance $192,000; $50,000 for the training and research; $2.28 million for the Field Services Bureau; $57,000 to the Criminal Investigation Division, $825,500 for the Support Services and $309,000 for the Office of Motor Vehicles.

According to the budget $100,000 is allocated for the telephone and communications for the Commissioner’s office and it was same budget from 2022, but in 2021 it was $47,651.

A total of $350,000 has been allocated for utilities an increase from $270,000 previously.

A total of 73 vehicles under the Department includes police vehicles. There are 380 staff members for the department and funding allocated for personnel amounts to $4.29 million; $6,500 for materials and supplies; $4,000 for contractual services; $533,000 under all others.

According to the budget $24,000 is set for training overseas where $6,000 is for airfares and $12,000 is for per diem.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

The Department of Human Resources proposed budget for the new financial year amounts to $3.8 million, compared to $2.66 million previously.

Highlighted in the budget is the increased number of staff from 256 to 357, a difference of 101 new staffers proposed for this new fiscal year.

The Department’s objective of activities includes formulating strategic operating policies, procedures, goals to build and retain a healthy and skilled workforce, promote a safe working environment, provide quality services to the public and transform the workforce from an operational one to a human capital management workforce.

Under utilities, $20,000 is allocated for telephone and communications an increase from $12,000 in the previous financial year, with $2,000 for printing and reproduction.

Of the $3.8 million proposed budget, $2.22 million would be funded locally and $1.58 million from federal grants.

A total of $1.56 million is allocated for personnel operations.

The entire budget of $693,415,435 million proposed for the new fiscal year was approved in first reading in the Senate last month.

BUDGET BEFORE SENATE

The bill says this act provides consolidated appropriations of the American Samoa Government annual budget for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, and for other purposes.

 “There is an urgent need to provide funding for necessary and proper functions of the government, so this law shall become effective immediately upon passage by the Legislature and approval by the Governor.

“The sources of projected revenue identified for appropriation in the American Samoa Government Budget for Fiscal year 2023 by this act are as follows:

Local Revenue

   Taxes $77,505,500

   Licenses and Permits           $1,600,000

   Fees and Fines         $5,500,000

   Charges for Services           $8,300,000

   Miscellaneous            $1,900,000

   Total Indirect Costs   $7,000,000

   Total Transfers In       $16,071,00  

Total Local Revenue   $117,876,500

  Capital Improvement Projects        $117,876,500

   Special Federal Grants         $10,262,500

   Enterprise Funds       $223,526,635

Total Project Revenue Sources In

    Fiscal Year 2023      $693,415,435.”