The Fono will convene in a special session on Monday to discuss the Fiscal Year 2021 budget as requested by Governor Lolo Moliga.
House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale told KHJ News today the Fono respects the call by the Governor and he and the Senate President have agreed for lawmakers to meet on Monday.
He said each chamber will meet separately first and then hold a joint meeting the same day.
Speaker Savali indicated that the discussion on the budget will not take long.
He would not comment on the legality of the executive order that the governor has issued to continue ASG operations for 15 days or until the Fono acts on the budget.
Savali said KHJ News should pose that question to Governor Lolo.
Meanwhile at a cabinet meeting today, Lolo explained the reasons why he cannot sign the FY2021 budget bill that he received from the Fono.
And that’s basically because the Fono has not identified where the cuts to the budget were made.
The Speaker told KHJ News however this information was all included in the budget bill that the Fono sent to the governor.
Governor Lolo said the current budget situation has not happened before but it was necessary.
He observed that 34 directors appeared at budget hearings and while the hasn’t been able to talk to 7, but for the 27 directors he has conversed the average length of time they were questioned about their budgets was minutes.
Lolo summed up that Fono review of the budget lasted just 155 minutes.
He elaborated that when the budget was compiled the aim of the administration was to lift the compensation for employees and put money in the hands of the people.
He said the salaries of high school graduates who were earning $6,000-$7,000 have been hiked to $12,000. And teachers and police officers with AA degrees who were at $10,000-&11,000 would earn $16,000.
The governor said if the Fono doesn’t approve this budget this government will never advance to a higher level, adding that the vision of he and the lt governor is to move forward and challenge the future.
Lolo told directors that if they have any influence on their senators and representatives they should urge them to reduce other items but not touch salaries which families depend on. He also told directors to be prepared for when they are called to testify on the FY2021 budget.
He said a family of 7 lives off the salary of a high school graduate, earning $7,000-$8,000 a year.
“We’ve raised their salary to $12,000. What’s wrong with that? Put money in the hands of workers to take care of their families and grow the economy,” he said.
