|
Congressman happy that insular areas will receive rebates
Tuesday,
April 29, 2008
Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin is pleased that the joint efforts he and his colleagues made to include the insular areas in the Economic Stimulus package have paid off.
In American Samoa’s case, $20.4 million will be going directly to local taxpayers. Congressman Faleomavaega and Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo urged the US House and Senate to include the territories in the stimulus package and make child tax credit and rebates available to qualifying residents. After Congress approved the economic stimulus package with the insular areas included, Congresswoman Donna Christenson of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico’s resident Commissioner Luis Fortuna authored a letter with Faleomavaega and Bordallo urging the Treasury Secretary to advance monies from the US treasury so that the rebates and credits could be paid out promptly rather than the local treasuries paying the money and later be reimbursed by the federal government.
Congressman Faleomavaega said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has honored our request and I thank him for informing my office that he has accepted ASG’s plan for distributing stimulus payments to residents of American Samoa, and that ASG will receive a check for $20.4 million in order to payout tax rebates and child tax credits to those who qualify. The congressman commended Governor Togiola and the local Tax Office for acting quickly and submitting a plan that has been approved by the U.S. Treasury. The ASG tax Office expects to begin issuing checks in 2 weeks and the disbursements will be done in batches similar to the distribution of annual tax refund checks. ASG Tax Office Manager Melvin Joseph says the rebates and credits will be issued in the order that 2007 tax refund checks were issued. A separate bank account has been set up to receive the $20.4 million. Under the distribution plan, ASG will not receive any monies for administrative costs.
| 
