24 Jan 2013

American Samoa endorses first cabinet nomination

1:02 pm on 24 January 2013

Lawmakers in American Samoa have endorsed the first cabinet nomination of Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga's administration.

The former president of the American Samoa Community College, Dr Salu Hunkin-Finau, has been appointed Director of the Education Department, following separate confirmation hearings and votes by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

She is the first appointee to be approved.

Dr Hunkin-Finau says her most important goal is for the government to have sufficient local funds for the Education Department's annual budget.

She says only 31 percent of the Department is funded by local revenues and the rest is from the federal government, which is facing its own constraints.

She says American Samoa should not continue to depend on federal funds.

Meanwhile the Senate has endorsed the governor's nomination of Falema'o Phil Pili as Treasurer.