The US Department of the Interior says it will not be funding the salary for American Samoa's Territorial Auditor.
Siome time ago, Governor Togiola Tulafono said the only time that there was an effective Territorial Auditor was when he was paid a salary of about $130,000 US dollars paid in part by the Department of the Interior.
The Governor said that the territorial government would be asking the DOI to provide funding to hire a highly qualified Territorial Auditor.
However, the assistant secretary of the Interior, David Cohen, says it would not be appropriate for the Office of Insular affairs to provide additional funding for a new auditor.
He said OIA funded the position previously on the condition that the government would include the position permanently in its budget.
The Territorial Auditor position has been vacant since the sacking of George Webster in April.
