The investigative arm of the United States Congress is holding a public hearing next week on the impact of past and future minimum wage hikes on residents of American Samoa.
The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, team arrived late last week to carry out the study on the minimum wage impact and have been meeting with territorial officials and lawmakers.
A public hearing is set for August 26th at the Lee Auditorium to get views from anyone who would like to attend.
The open forum will allow the public to ask questions and voice their views on what they think about the minimum wage increases.
Local leaders are urging the public to attend the public forum as well as participating in any meetings in villages.
The GAO team will be in Pago Pago for two weeks and their report to Congress is due in April next year.
Information that the team will gather, include wages, labor and employment, private sector productivity including export levels and tax revenues, private sector development initiatives, social assistance programs that collect information on income and/or poverty and immigration and tourism.
