Fono Briefs
by Fili Sagapolutele
and La Poasa
Samoa News Reporters
GAEA SAYS
GOVERNOR WILL SUBMIT BILL TO IMPOSE FINE ON UNDECLARED GOODS
ASG Treasurer
Gaea Pelefoti Failautusi told senators yesterday that Gov. Togiola
Tulafono plans to submit to the Fono a proposal to impose a fine
on undeclared goods that come into the territory.
Gaea said the
centralizing of container inspection at the dock has uncovered
items brought into American Samoa that are not listed on the
ship's manifest and the governor's proposal will either impose
an outright monetary fine or a 15% excise tax on undeclared goods.
He didn't provide
additional details about the proposal but noted that customs'
collections in the last three months has been very good.
GOVERNOR SIGNS
INTO LAW NOTARY ACT OF 2007
Gov. Togiola
Tulafono has signed into law a bill establishing the Notary Act
of 2007.
The measure modernizes
the Notary Public Office by establishing rules, procedures, guiding
principals, defining duties and responsibilities, and provides
for sanctions for notaries public in the territory to assure
the integrity of documents essential to commercial and legal
transactions.
In a letter to
the Fono leadership on May 1, Togiola said he has approved the
legislation because he believes that notaries public are professionals
who are vital to preserving the integrity of, among other things,
documents which are essential to commercial and legal transactions.
The governor
said, "In the past, our laws provided very little guidance
to our notaries public. Thankfully, with this piece of legislation,
our notary laws are now up to par with the rest of the United
States and the world."
SEN. FIATAUIAULAVA
IS ATTENDING APIL CONFERENCE
Sen. Fiatauiaulava
I. Sauni is representing the Senate at this week's meeting of
the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures (APIL) in Guam.
American Samoa
hosted last year's meeting.
Among the most
important issues being discussed at the APIL conference is the
military build up - when military operations in Japan are transferred
to Guam - and how APIL member nations can fit in, according to
news media from Guam.
The Guam military
built up and opportunities it will make available to U.S. Pacific
territories were discussed in Washington and there are concerns
that this will drain resources from the island territories.
Early this year,
Gov. Togiola Tulafono said that in the 1980s American Samoa experienced
a drain on our trained and skilled laborers during the initial
infrastructure buildup in Guam.
Togiola said
American Samoa expects the same situation with the impending
military buildup in Guam. He said due to higher wages that are
paid in Guam, in comparison to American Samoa's wages, there
is likelihood that skilled laborers from American Samoa will
compete for the jobs that will be available from the Guam military
buildup.
In the last two
years, San Diego-based MACTEC Engineering & Consulting Inc.,
has been advertising in the Samoa News for engineering/tech positions
in Guam.
HOUSE TO REVIEW
TEACHERS' PAY PROPOSAL TODAY
The House Budget
and Appropriations and the Education committees are scheduled
to conduct a hearing today to review a proposal from the Administration
to raise salaries for public school teachers.
The House had
initially planned the hearing yesterday but because the same
witnesses called for the hearing were at the Senate yesterday,
by the time the Senate hearing ended, it was already time for
the House regular session.
Rep. Laolagi
F.S. Vaeao, chairman of the House Budget and Appropriations,
told the House clerk yesterday to send a notice to the witnesses
to please appear today for the hearing.
SENATE EDUCATION
COMMITTEE REQUESTED TO REVIEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Senate President
Lolo M. Moliga yesterday requested the Senate Education Committee,
chaired by Sen. Alo Dr. Paul Stevenson, to review the current
ASG scholarship program.
The request came
after a call by Sen. Mailo Atonio for the Senate to fully review
the student loan program whether it complies with local law.
He says that since the governor has vetoed a bill allocating
$1 million annually for the Development Bank of American Samoa
(DBAS), the Senate should find out if the money under the loan
was program used by the bank.
Mailo said that
the Senate should keep a close watch of the scholarship program.
Reach Fili
Sagapolutele at fili@samoanews.com.
Reach La Poasa at la@samoanews.com.
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