American Samoa residents in Ofu, Olosega and Sili in Manu'a have petitioned the ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank to restore banking services there.
The bank closed its branch on Ofu in April after the theft of close to
US$100,000 in bank funds by three former bank employees.
Ofu resident Fili Laolagi said that it's a burden for them to travel by boat to Tau to cash checks and do their banking.
He says hopefully the petition would sway the bank management to at least provide limited banking services, such as sending personnel to Ofu on a pay day.
The bank's President and CEO Gary Ayre explained that for some time the directors of the bank, now owned by ANZ Bank in Australia, have questioned the justification of remaining open on a small island that had never recorded a profit.
