Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Arts Festival Under Budget But Reports A $122,000 Shortfall

By Fili Sagapolutele in Pago Pago
Saturday: August 30, 2008

American Samoa spent just under $4 million to host last month's 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts. But a budget shortfall still exists and the festival organizing committee plans
to seek additional funding from the Fono.

Financial documents presented yesterday to the territorial Senate show an approved budget of $4.6 million with a shortfall of $1.5 million.

Festival co-chair Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde said yesterday afternoon that the total spent for the festival came in just under $4 million and the committee's outstanding payables are approximately $122,000.

"The shortfall in the end came to $463,000 instead of the original $1.5 million," said Fagafaga.

He said that the Governor Togiola Tulafono’s office is drafting a bill, to be submitted to the Fono, to request supplemental funding to cover the shortfall.

The American Samoa Government (ASG) provided the biggest financial contribution of $2.5 million to the festival.

The committee's financial report shows $279,100 was pledged from corporate and individual contributions. Fagafaga said the committee received significantly more than expected with an overwhelming majority of the donations coming from businesses, individuals and organizations in American Samoa, much of it in the final weeks leading up to the late July festival.

According to the festival committee’s preliminary financial report, it has so far received $615,564 in donations/contributions ($478,500 in cash and $137,064 for in-kind.)

Fagafaga said the committee also realized savings through the food voucher program that was used to feed festival participants. The food voucher budget was set at $1.4 million but Fagafaga said only $1.02 million was spent.

During a Senate hearing yesterday, Fagafaga and co-chair Leala Pili Elisara told senators that outstanding invoices and accounts payable were still being received as of last week and they are presently being verified and reconciled with vendors.

Fagafaga said the festival’s finance staff is still processing the final report and it will be
provided to the Senate once it is complete.

At the close of the hearing, Fagafaga said that the successful hosting of the festival was because all of American Samoa joined together and there was also support from the three branches of the territorial government.