12 Jan 2007

Cost of living on the rise in American Samoa

5:41 am on 12 January 2007

The Senate President Lolo M. Moliga says the cost of living in American Samoa continues to increase, while the cost of government services such as electricity and hospital fees are also on the rise.

Lolo says the government must heed, and must not neglect the suffering of the less fortunate, the impoverished and the destitute among American Samoa's people.

He says the government needs to rethink the merits associated with the establishment of authorities and their needs.

Lolo claims that the authorities have adopted the posture that their respective operations are independent and are not subject to the central government's operating policies.

He says this attitude is reflected in the establishment of higher compensation packages received by their employees which in essence, has created two classes of government workers.