27 Jun 2017

Worries about American Samoan authority's cashflow

8:23 am on 27 June 2017

There's mounting concern in American Samoa over the financial state of the local telecommunications authority.

no caption

Photo: 123rf

The American Samoa Telecommunications Authority has been a cash cow for the territory's government, but recent quarterly reports show spending is now outpacing revenue.

The authority's value has also decreased dramatically - from US$33.3 million in 2011 to US$23.3 million in 2015.

The territory's governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, said the authority was not doing well, and the appointment of a new interim chief executive and board was necessary to resolve management discrepancies.

The governor said the previous board's spending was reckless.