In four years, ASG hasn’t filled the position of Territorial Auditor.
The last auditor, Robert Dantini, left the island in late 2014 before his contract expired.
The proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget for ASG allocates more than $372,000 for the Territorial Audit Office.
During review of TAO’s budget yesterday, Senator Afoa Moega Lutu who had the floor first made a motion to relieve the two TAO officials who came to testify on their budget.
But Senator Magalei Logovii had questions.
He noted that there hasn’t been a Territorial Auditor for 4 years and he wanted to know why.
The TAO official Loia Gutu explained that it’s up to the governor if the position will ever be filled.
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Chairman of the Budget and Appropriation Committee, Senator Laolagi Savali Vaeao interjected saying because the TAO officials are not fully informed of the Governor’s decision, it is best that they move on.
Responding to a question from House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale, Gutu said money appropriated in the FY2016 budget for this position has been returned and is in ASG’s General Fund.
Senator Faletagoa’i Tuiolemotu observed that the number of staff members for this office, which is supposed to conduct audits of ASG departments, has been dropping.
In the last fiscal year, there were 9 employees, for the current fiscal year there are 8 and for FY 2017 the number of staff drops to 7.
Questioned what’s going on, the TAO official explained that the office hasn’t had a grant for the last fiscal year and this year as well.
TAO used to have grant specialists from off island but since their departure, the office stopped receiving any more grants.
No one asked for an explanation on why there are no more grant specialists to apply for the grants or if TAO has conducted any audits during this fiscal year.
