Just in time for Christmas, business owners and anyone who imports merchandise or equipment for commercial purposes, which go through customs new scanners, will be paying new fees for the use of the equipment.
Governor Lolo Moliga has signed into law his amended bill authorizing the use of the x-ray scanners and setting a fee schedule which importers will have to pay.
The bill which the governor signed was an amended version of what he had proposed.
The Fono reduced by half most of the fees that the administration proposed and left a few unchanged.
The bill goes into effect 60 days from the last day of the session in which it was passed.
The last day of the final session of the legislature is October 14 so goods arriving for Christmas would be subject to scanner screening and fees.
The fee for containers starting from 20 feet and over is $200,
$50 for loose cargo pallet.
$50 per vehicle or heavy equipment.
$10 per parcel and other scanning fees customs deems necessary, to be enacted by administrative rule.
The governor informed the speaker and the president of his signing of the bill in an October 4 letter.
Thanking them and lawmakers, he said, by enhancing custom ability to quickly search incoming cargo, we expert to be able to better secure our borders, provide more efficient service to our importers, and improve customs revenue collection.
As KHJ News reported earlier one of the four new scanners a mobile unit has already arrived.
Six million dollars of the proceeds from the American Samoa Economic Development Authority bonds is paying for the scanners.
Robert Ho Chee, formerly a special assistant to the treasurer and now Commissioner of the Office of Financial Institutions, the regulator of banks and other businesses dealing with money, says the contract with the manufacturer Rapid Scan includes maintenance of the equipment and training of staff.
The container scanner is being shipped from England and has features that will make it very hard for contraband to get through.
Ho Chee used the analogy of a patient having an xray.
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