Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate Select Investigative Committee (SSIC) will hold a hearing on Oct. 7, on the Government’s $6.4 million TALOFAPass websystem, which screens travelers entering American Samoa.

The TALOFAPass American Samoa Safe Travel System contract was awarded to Datahouse Consulting Inc of Honolulu last year.

During Wednesday’s session, chairman of the SSIC, Sen. Togiola T.A. Tulafono confirmed that on Oct. 7 they will hold a hearing on this matter.

Last month Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean said there are countless complaints by members of the public regarding the TALOFAPass after some people had a hard time coming to American Samoa as a result.

Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga during the opening of the Fono declared the administration’s support for the TALOFAPass.

He said one of the strategies that proved to have an immediate impact on ASG’s capacity to respond and provide adequate healthcare for the people was to close off the island completely. This presented the right opportunity for American Samoa to move further into the digital age, with the TALOFAPass that was developed to provide safe travel protocols, quarantine tracking, and contact tracing.

He said the TALOFAPass continues to be ASG’s premiere IT solution in monitoring and verification of the entry of travelers and it’s a tool that ASG has chosen to invest in to improve the resilience of the local Immigration Office and the Health Department and further improve the safety of the territory.