CPO Responds to Claims by Leaders of Farmers Co-op

Chief Procurement Officer, Dr. Oreta Crichton, has yet to hear from the President and Vice president of the American Samoa Farmers Co-Op about their concerns regarding one of the bidders for the supply of local produce for the School Lunch Program.

Last week Co-Op President, Moe Togiola and Vice President Britt Samatua told KHJ News they asked the CPO for the list of farmers who won the latest bids for the School Lunch Program after they found out that the owner of Hong Kong Restaurant Mrs. Helen Young was one of the successful bidders.

Their concern is because Governor Lolo had told farmers and several ASG officials last year that those without farms should not be allowed to bid for the School Lunch Program.

According to the chief Procurement Officer the leaders of the Farmers Co-op didn’t approach her directly but were harassing one of her employees after she refused to give them a list of the winning bids for the School Lunch Program.

Dr. Crichton said when she was made aware of the situation she told an employee of Procurement to inform the Farmers Coop to write a letter to officially request the documents they wanted.

But they never did.

The Chief Procurement Office said when the president and vice president of the Farmers Coop came to procurement again.

A woman who was with them threatened to report them to the governor for not carrying out Lolo’s promise to disqualify people without farms from bidding in the School Lunch Program.

Commenting on why the owner of Hong Kong had been accepted as a bidder, Dr. Crichton said that Mrs Young is a US citizen and she does have a farm although she might not be seen working at it but she does have people working at her farm.

The businesswoman was recently certified by the Department of Agriculture, which is a requirement for eligibility as a bidder for School Lunch.

The CPO said that the Farmers Co-Op is discriminating against Mrs. Young.

She said there are other individuals in the same situation as the restaurant owner, but they are not attracting the same complaints from the Coop said the CPO.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,