The American Samoan governor Togiola Tulafono has requested the federal government delay raising the federally mandated minimum wage for three years.
This, he says, is to give time for a review of the impact of a higher minimum wage on American Samoa.
Togiola says the request was made last month to a US Congressional committee hearing.
He says it is a concern is that the Government Accounts Office continues to downplay the minimum wage as only one of several factors influencing the growing economic depression in American Samoa.
He says he believes the GAO ignores the fact that the minimum wage increases have adversely affected the entire economy and not just the canneries.
Togiola also says he believes that at least three years will be needed to find a solution that will be agreeable to the US Congress.
