American Samoa’s new governor halts govt pay rises
Pago Pago: American Samoa’s new governor, Lemanu Peleti Mauga has ordered a halt on all pay increases and conversion of positions from contract to career service.
The governor explained that in order to control spending, there will be a freeze of all pay increases and conversion of positions from contract to career service.
“In anticipation of reorganising government functions, the Director of Human Resources shall prepare a report of all pay increases and transfer of positions from contract to career service from January 1, 2019 to present,” he said.
It was publicly announced by former Governor Lolo Moliga last year that contract positions would be converted to career service so as to protect job security for the contract workers during the changeover in administration.
Most of the deputy directors and governor’s office staff who were political appointees became career service employees in the last year. KHJ News pointed out at the time that the conversions did not follow the American Samoa Government’s personnel rules which require the career service positions to be advertised so that hiring can be performed on a competitive basis.
At a House of Representatives hearing last June, Assistant Attorney General Alexandra Zirschky testified that the statute allows the Director of Human Resources to choose whether or not to advertise such positions.
Usually, there’s a reduction in pay when a position is converted from contract to career service. However, in all of the conversions ordered by the former governor, the individuals kept the same salaries. According to the Governor’s Communications Officer, Fiafia Sunia, Governor Lemanu is aware of the many employees that were converted to career service.
“Multiple avenues are being considered to accommodate these changes while maintaining a commitment to fiscal responsibility and responsible financial management strategies,” he said.