Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Through a June 20, memorandum, Gov. Lemanu P. S. Mauga set a deadline of 3p.m. Friday for cabinet members to submit their Yearly Training Calendar (YTC), which must include, among other things, personnel costs per month for the new FY 2024, which starts on Oct. 01, 2023.

A priority agenda item when the Fono convenes next month for the Second Regular Session of the 38th Legislature, is the government’s FY 2024 budget for review and approval. No update information yet from the Administration as to when the budget proposal will be submitted to the Fono, but some lawmakers hope it will be sent early giving them sufficient time to conduct budget hearings.

In his memo, the governor asked cabinet members to be “mindful of our duty to the people of American Samoa to critically examine each budget line item in your proposed budget” as the new FY 2024 approaches.

Cabinet members were also asked to “ensure that each [budget] item aligns with your department's standard strategic plan for program and personnel development. Together, your budgets serve as the foundation for ASG's financial management efforts.”

Furthermore, thoughtful planning and precise budgeting are intrinsically linked to the success of the government.

According to the governor, one important tool that will assist the government in this initiative is the YTC and to be “most effective”, he explained that the YTC must include all planned activities and how they align with your allotted budgetary resources.”

He asked that directors “keep in mind that thoughtful planning requires your department to evaluate and project short- and long-term progress and gaps. A complete YTC will help us facilitate effective planning for employee productivity and optimize resource utilization.”

The governor recalled that the Governor's Office conducted its first ASG Calendar and Communication Training in December 2022 to coordinate and build a centralized ASG Calendar.

The initiative was designed to assist the governor’s office in synchronizing all major events, communication, and ASG-wide training. The training generated a Point of Contact (POC) listing for departmental Calendar/ Communication.

Lemanu noted in his memo that all POCs were expected to submit a YTC 2024 by close of business on June 20 but as of that morning, his office had yet to receive a sufficient number of submissions.

The governor’s memo included a template for directors to complete the department's portion of the YTC. On the calendar, directors were told to provide the following information for each month:

•           personnel cost per month;

•           operational and maintenance costs per month, and

•           key events and their associated costs for each month.

And key events should list all planned events by each department to include trainings, large trips, and events that will require significant expenditure of resources above and beyond the typical operational and maintenance costs of each department.

The Governor’s Office conducted follow-up calls to gather a status report on YTC Submission from the POCs.

“As always, I commend your office for the time and dedication invested in completing this task,” he wrote to directors. “Our collaborative efforts should guarantee a smooth transition into the new Fiscal Year.”