Two lawmakers in American Samoa are calling on the government for the immediate distribution of private donations to victims of last year's tsunami.
Vaiausia E. Yandall and Taotasi Archie Soliai made the call through a House resolution, saying money should be disbursed that has been given by both local and off-island donors.
They says any remainder of the proceeds should be given to the Red Cross, whose reputation is proven worldwide to provide for victims of disasters.
The Governor's Authorized Representative, Evelyn Vaitautolu Langford, says donations, which now stand at 512,000 US dollars, will be dispersed to organisations and not individuals.
Vaiausia and Taotasi says the public was assured that the donations would be used to meet the needs of disaster survivors in an expeditious and efficient
manner but holding onto the donations for almost a year contradicts this very statement.
