Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In his executive order regulating the use of government owned or operated vehicles, Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga also provided details on the time frame for use of ASG vehicles and after hours exemptions.

(See last Thursday’s Samoa News for the main issues pertaining to the order, which became effective Dec. 21.)

The order states that the vehicles “shall only be used between 5a.m. and 5p.m. on regular workdays” but it does not apply to vehicles operated by the Department of Public Safety, Emergency Medical Service; Road Marshals; directors and head of agencies; and vehicles with license plate numbers GO-1 through GO-04 (which Samoa News points out are vehicles assigned to the Governor’s Office).

Also exempted from this policy are vehicles issued after-hour permits. It says that directors and head of agencies may issue after hours permits only for “legitimate government purposes” for periods not to exceed one week on forms provided by Road Marshals.

A copy of each after-hour permit is kept by the director or agency head and to be available for inspection by the Road Marshals for 13-months after they are issued. And directors and agency heads may issue annual after-hour permits only with the authorization from the Governor’s Chief of Staff.

AGENCY COMPLIANCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The order also provides details of agency compliance with inspections, saying that Road Marshals are charged with inspecting agency records to ensure accountability for vehicles, license plates, and records related to government-owned and operated vehicles.

And Road Marshals shall cooperate with the Office of Property Management, Public Safety Department, Chief Procurement Officer and Public Works to carry out this order.

Another provision of the order outlines the agency’s responsibilities. For example, directors and agency heads are responsible for enforcing this order within their agencies.

The order emphasized that government-owned and operated vehicles are issued for the purpose of carrying out the responsibilities of government duties.

Lemanu’s order supersedes the ones issued over the years by previous administrations as well as previously general memorandums.

BACKGROUND

The previous Lolo Administration issued several directives and restrictions on the use of ASG vehicles within the Executive Branch as reports of alleged abuse and misuse of government vehicles continued to increase.

The administration, which also issued after-hour permits —  even directed police to canvas church parking lots, where reports reached the Governor’s Office at the time, of ASG vehicles parked there after hours.

In September 2018, the U.S Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General released an audit report saying that there were “no effective controls” in place for Executive Branch government-owned and leased vehicles, and the fleet is subject to “misuse” and “theft”.

“We found that the ASG's vehicle records were inaccurate and incomplete, the ASG had no comprehensive and government-wide policy to regulate and monitor the use of government-owned and leased vehicles, and departments did not adhere to available guidance,” it says. (See Samoa News online Oct. 04, 2018 for details).