Rep Vesi Fautanu laments lack of funding

vesi

Manu’a Representative Vesi Fautanu Jr. says the hands of lawmakers are tied when it comes to funding to carry out infrastructure projects that their districts need.

He says when lawmakers ask responsible departments for projects that are needed in their districts, they’re told there’s not enough Capital Improvement Project money.

This is also the case with the Governor’s Special Programs.

He said he has tried without success to get an appointment to see the governor about his district’s needs.

“Lawmakers don’t know where to seek funding for their projects,” Vesi lamented.

He asked if the Government Operations Committee can bring in the Chairman of the CIP Committee and staff handling CIPs to explain how the selection of CIP projects is made and which projects are given priority.

Rep. Timusa Lam Yuen told the House earlier that road repairs in his district of Tuala-tai had been on the CIP five year plan for some time but up to now, their district roads have still not been fixed.

CIP projects to be funded are listed when funding requests are made to the Department of Interior. However, it’s believed that some of the projects which have been approved have been sidelined for other projects which were not on the approved list.

Lt. Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga is the chairman of the CIP Committee, but it’s popular knowledge among the administration that he has little control over which projects are actually implemented.