Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas Nikolao Pula has approved three technical assistance grants totaling over $1.7 million for the US territories.
The only funding which American Samoa can access of this new technical assistance grants is $139,500 to the *All-Island Tax Administrators Association AITAA for its 2017 and 2018 conferences.
Consisting of the four U.S. territories American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands)and two of the three FAS,the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau, the AITAA gives territorial and FAS tax agencies a voice to address concerns or promote tax laws to the Departments of the Interior, the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.
The 2017 conference will take place this June in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Two other grants, one for $865,800 is for employee benefits for the Freely Associated States and , $697,387, goes to the states of Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and Utrik Atoll for health care.
Acting Assistant Secretary Pula said, “These funds demonstrate, in part, our support for commitments and important programs which continue to benefit people in the U.S. territories and the freely associated states (FAS).
“We continue to work closely with the governors of the U.S. territories and the presidents of the FAS to make sure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are used correctly and in the nation’s best interests.”
