YOU’RE INVITED: "Forums" featuring presentations by govt agencies and depts start tomorrow

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Lolo Administration is taking a “new approach” at the start of 2019, by allowing the public — including the media — to attend “forums” where each government agency will give a presentation, covering issues such as the status of the agency from the previous year, as well as accomplishments and plans going forward this year.

“We’re taking a new approach,” Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga told cabinet members at last Thursday’s cabinet meeting in the Election Office conference room.  Lolo explained that starting this year, “we’d like to see what’s going on in every department and office of this government” presented in a forum meeting.

“Not only will it give us the opportunity to understand what’s going on, but also to let the public know this is what’s going on within your department,” Lolo told cabinet members, noting that he has requested his staff to “start organizing a forum."

Lolo continued, “We can also invite the public to sit in, we also invite the media to make sure they are part of that discussion, so our people know what’s going on in each individual agency.”

(Samoa News points out that since the Lolo Administration took the helm, the media has been allowed to attend cabinet meetings where a wide range of issues, including presentations by departments and agencies, are discussed.)

The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Fiu J. Saelua explained that all presentations will be at the Governor’s Office conference room at 9a.m.

The governor has requested that all cabinet members be in attendance during each presentation.

According to Fiu,  presentations start tomorrow, Tuesday, with the LBJ Medical Center and the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA). Then on Thursday this week, it's the American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority (ASTCA) and the American Samoa Community College (ASCC).

The local Department of Education, Development Bank of American Samoa, and the Shipyard Service Authority are all scheduled for next Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Schedules featuring dates of presentations are being sent out to cabinet members.

Last month, the governor through a letter informed his cabinet members to prepare their presentations, which should include among other things, detailed proposed accomplishments for the remaining two years of the Lolo Administration.

The governor outlined seven specific topics to be addressed during the presentations. For example, clearly detailed proposed accomplishments for 2019 and 2020; finances going back to fiscal year 2013; and demands for the next two years.

Cabinet members are also to present on proposed plans for the future, and how those will be achieved.

(See Samoa News Dec. 7, 2018 edition for details.)