The American Samoa governor Togiola Tulafono has expressed his gratitude for the passing of the Insular Areas Act, by the U.S. Senate, which includes provisions to delay the next minimum wage hike in American Samoa until 2015.
The bill was approved last week and is now with the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
Togiola says the passing of the bill in the US Senate is an important step in providing local businesses, especially in the fisheries and canning industries, assurance that the minimum wage in American Samoa will remain steady and stable for the next three years and beyond.
Togiola says should the House pass the law, it will provide incentive to local canneries to invest in equipment and infrastructure to expand their operations, and it will likely prompt them to significantly increase production.
