Senate President Pro Tem Magalei Logovii is adamant that the Fono gets a full report on the general wage increase for ASG which went into effect July 1st.
Magalei, a former Treasurer and Budget Director, said the salary increase has been implemented without any funding appropriated for it in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.
The details he’s asking for are: the amount spent on the salary increases from July 1st to September 30, and how much was federal funding and how much was local funds
He said the Fono didn’t approve money in the current year budget for such a wage increase which is for the whole government.
He said even if the funds are from departments’ budgets, the Fono has to authorize it through a reprogramming bill.
Magalei requested that the chairmen of the joint budget committees request the budget director to provide this information before they take final action on the FY2022 budget.
Senate President Tuaolo Fruean said their expectation was that the wage increase would come to the Fono first as part of the FY2022 budget review. He directed that the request for information on the salary increases be sent to Budget Director Cathy Saelua.
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga has said that funding for the general wage increase from July 1st to September 30 comes from the budget for Special Programs.
