Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs Awards $250,000 Each to Boost Audit Preparation

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs has awarded $250,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 Technical Assistance Program funding to each of the 11 primary government finance offices across the U.S. territories and the freely associated states to help meet Single Audit requirements. Funding will be awarded to American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northen Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National Government, including the FSM states of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap.

“I’m announcing today that each finance office in the insular areas will receive a non-competitive grant of $250,000 to allow the hiring of additional staff with accounting and financial management experience to improve audit timeliness and quality goals over the next year,” said William Hague, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs. “Many of the insular governments are a year or more behind statutory deadlines for completing their Single Audits.  The Department of the Interior is committed to working collaboratively with the insular areas to prioritize and bring them into compliance with Single Audit requirements.”

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The OIA also administers discretionary funding for all the Insular Areas. Find more information about OIA at www.doi.gov/oia.

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