Visitors Bureau executive director compensation package again scrutinized

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Several lawmakers appeared unimpressed with a plea from American Samoa Visitors Bureau deputy director, Vaitoa Hans Langkilde for additional funding, while salary and benefit package for the agency’s boss is just over $120,000, and the entity has ‘only’ six employees — and the proposed fiscal year 2019 budget is more than $600,000.

Concerns over the salary and benefit package for Visitors Bureau executive director, David Vaeafe came up last Friday during the final day of the Fono Joint Budget Committee hearing, where Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie recalled that the same concern over the benefit package was raised about two years ago, resulting in the reduction of the agency’s budget at the time by the Fono.

Samoa News notes that the salary and benefits for the executive director is set by the Visitors Bureau board of directors, and this has been publicly disclosed over the years. It’s also the board who has the final approval on the proposed final budget submission, in working with the Executive Branch.

Among the questions raised during the hour-long budget hearing were queries about the improvements to tourist sites on island and if there is any money from the Visitors Bureau to improve these sites such as the waterfall at Leone; as well as the high salary and benefit package for the executive director, who left last Thursday night for an already scheduled off island meeting.

(Samoa News notes that Vaeafe showed up last week Tuesday which was set for the Visitors Bureau budget hearing, but later that morning, the committee postponed it to last Friday.)

Also during the hearing, some lawmakers noted that the Visitors Bureau, as a semi autonomous agency, should be able to be self sufficient in earning revenues for its operation, instead of the current practice of funding from government.

Vaitoa recalled what Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga had told his cabinet during recent cabinet meeting for Authorities to tell lawmakers about financial issues and problems they face so that the Fono is aware of them.

For the Visitors Bureau, Vaitoa believes that it’s sometime in the future that the authority will be self supporting, through revenues it will earn, because at this point, there are no revenues being collected by the agency.

However, he then requested additional funds for the Visitors Bureau and suggested a possible funding source by imposing tax on services provided to tourists, similar to what is being done in other parts of the world. For example, on car rentals.

Vaitoa says the additional money would help finance improvements to tourists sites such as the waterfalls in Leone and Nu’uuli.

Currently, he says the Visitors Bureau is partnering with other ASG entities — such as Public Works and Shipyard Service Authority, to make improvements to visitors sites.

Vaitoa’s plea for additional money didn’t appear acceptable to several lawmakers, who pointed to huge expenditures by the agency, especially money allocated to the executive director for expenses including his residence.

Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman Sen. Magalei Logovi’i, who is also co-chair of the joint budget committee, gave a total tally of $127,000, including the $90,000 salary for the executive director.

Gaoteote says that while Vaitoa is requesting additional funds, the Fono remains unclear on the spending of this agency, of only six employees, but yet has an FY 2019 budget of $676,000 — and the Fono wants to reduce it.

Additionally, the budget proposal does not provide clear justification for some of its proposed expenditures, he said, noting that this has been the case every year.

He recalled about two years ago when the joint budget committee reduced the agency’s budget because there was no justification of several expenditures, and some of those expenses are still not clearly explained to-date.

There were also an inquiry about the relationship between the Visitors Bureau and the organizer of the Miss American Samoa pageant, in which the agency employs the reigning Miss American Samoa during her 12-month of tenure. This arrangement has been place for sometime now.

Miss American Samoa Inc. (MASI), a local organization oversees the annual pageant and raises their own funds for the pageant and other activities.

During the hearing, Sen. Tuaolo Manaia Fruean said that many want to be sponsors of the annual pageantry event, but there are rumors that only one person is overseeing MASI. He asked about the status of MASI, to which Vaitoa said its a non-profit group incorporated in the territory, with its board of directors and is independent of the government.

Tuaolo said many in the community have concerns with MASI and as a result many locals have not stepped up to be sponsors. Tuaolo noted that McDonald’s has stepped up in its sponsorship for the Miss Samoa pageant, with a huge contribution — $150,000 (Samoan tala).

Tuaolo’s view was also echoed by other lawmakers.

(Samoa News should point out that last year McDonald’s Samoa contributed WST $100,000 and this year it was for WST $50,000. For it’s major contribution, naming rights were secured and the pageant formally carried the name — the “McDonald’s Miss Samoa Pageant”.)