Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

American Samoa advised to sack homeland security staff

Posted at 23:28 on 19 March, 2007 UTC

The Acting Director of American Samoa’s Department of Homeland Security , Tuala Mike Sala, has recommended that all employees of the Territorial Emergency Management and Co-ordinaton Office and Territorial Office of Homeland Security be laid off, immediately.

His advice follows a decision by the US Department of Homeland Security to cease funding the American Samoa operation.

Homeland Security funds for American Samoa were frozen in mid January and since then the territorial government has funded the two agencies, which employ about 22 workers.

Tuala says the cut-off of funds by the US Department of Homeland Security has exposed the local government to an unbudgeted liability amounting to millions of dollars.