Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

American Samoa contractors object to recovery building contract

Posted at 17:07 on 29 November, 2009 UTC

American Samoa contractors are crying foul over the awarding of a construction project funded with money from the American Recovery and reinvestment Act to the Department of Public Works.

The Department is carrying out renovations for offices of the Department of Human and Social Services at Utulei.

Contractors told a local radio station, KHJ, that the job was never advertised and that having Public works involved defeats the job creating purpose of the recovery programme.

Officials at Procurement said the decision to give the job to Public works was made between the Director of Human and Social Services and the Executive Director of the American Samoa Economic Stimulus Office.

But it said tenders were being put out for the building materials