Gov initiates update to American Samoa Territorial General Plan

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — To “commence the work necessary to update the American Samoa Territorial General Plan”, Gov. Lemanu P. S. Mauga has designated the Territorial General Plan Working Group, whose membership is made up of several ASG entities.

“The Territorial General Plan is an indicative policy agenda for the economic and social development of the territory,” the governor explained in a Mar. 02 memorandum to cabinet members, designating the working group.

“It aims to promote a better quality of life for our resident, protect the natural environment, and preserve resources for sustainable development of our territory,” he said.

The governor summarized several critical purposes of the Territorial General Plan:

•           To create a vision for the future of American Samoa;

•           To focus on primary issues and concerns faced by the Territory;

•           To create a permanent system of cooperation, coordination, planning and management among government and non-government organizations;

•           To identify a rational and strategic path for development that makes the best use of available funding resources;

•           To create the needed capacity to implement programs efficiently and effectively; and

•           To make known polices and plans of the government administration and demonstrated to federal oversight agencies and funding sources that the government has put in place a means to direct its progress and gauge its performance.

In addition, the Territorial General Plan should aim to consolidate and not replace other existing plans such as the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Port Masterplan, Territorial Emergency Operations Plan, Tourism Masterplan and others.

“These plans should be acknowledged in the Territorial General Plan and referenced where needed,” the governor points out.

The Commerce Department, which is the government’s economic planning agency, will lead and coordinate this effort, the governor said.

However, Lemanu made it clear that he expects full participation from all ASG department, agencies, and offices in this important endeavor. He also identified 32 departments, agencies and offices, which have been requested to cooperate as they are vital to this collaboration.

The list of departments, agencies, and offices that Gov. Lemanu P. S. Mauga has requested to cooperate with the Territorial General Plan working group as they are vital to this endeavor. [photo: screen shot]