(a) It is the declared policy of the government that all appointments and promotions to positions in the career service of the government shall be made solely on the basis of merit, fitness, and length and quality of previous service.
(b) Merit and fitness shall, whenever practicable, be ascertained by competitive examinations. In preparing such examinations, or selecting incumbents in the absence of examinations, administrators shall take cognizance of the trend in American Samoa toward a greater degree of self-determination, and the need for training opportunities for citizens of American Samoa in furthering that transition. Whenever possible, therefore, standards for employment will give all due recognition to practical experience in the function and probable aptitude for learning while on the job, rather than relying in the main on formalized education and training.
History: 1962, PL 7-22; 1963, PL 8-10; 1967, PL 10-30.