Industries in American Samoa have been officially classified and published in the American Samoa Standard Industrial Classification 2017 recently released by the Department of Commerce.
ASIC 2017 is American Samoa’s national classification of all productive activities currently being undertaken in American Samoa or will, in the foreseeable future, take place according to the Chief of Statistics at the Department of Commerce, Meleisea Vai Filiga.
He said the report also provides a comprehensive framework within which economic data in American Samoa will be collected and reported.
The report says economic entities that produce goods and services in American Samoa vary in their legal, accounting, organizational and operating structures.
These factors play a role in defining the best statistical unit for the production of statistics that are consistent across these entities and regionally and internationally comparable.
The report says two standard statistical units suitable to be used in American Samoa are the establishments or enterprises.
Establishments in American Samoa can be an enterprise or part of an enterprise that is situated in a single location and in which only a single productive activity is carried out or in which the principal productive activity accounts for most of the value added.
Enterprises in American Samoa are economic transactions with autonomy in respect of financial and investment decision-making.
They are vested with the authority and responsibility for allocating resources for the production of goods and services. It may be engaged in one or more productive activities.
For most small and medium-sized businesses, the enterprise and the establishment are identical.
The Department of Commerce acknowledges the assistance and guidance of Ms Nilima Lal, Economic Statistician of the Pacific Community (SPC) and ASG departments which provided information used in the publication.
