KOROR, Palau (July 10, 2025) — The Social Security Administration’s Board of Trustees is under scrutiny from the Senate of the 12th Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) over a sharp increase in travel spending, raising questions about the use of public funds and transparency.
Records show that in 2020, the SSA Board’s total travel expenditure for five board members amounted to $24,077. Travel was halted in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in 2022, with board members spending $26,452. Trips included participation in International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans (IFEBP) conferences in the United States, visits to the Palau House and HCF offices in the Philippines, and meetings with SSA investment consultants in Los Angeles.
In 2023, however, board travel expenses surged to $105,995, accounting for 83% of the SSA Board’s total budget. According to SSA reports:
- Chairman Heflin Bai took five trips totaling $19,650.
- Vice Chairman Satoru Adachi took six trips at a cost of $31,186.
- Secretary/Treasurer Terrence Ruluked traveled five times, costing $29,884.
- Trustee Eva Kyota made four trips costing $20,621.
- New trustee Babauta took one trip costing $4,654.
- In 2024, costs continued to rise:
- Bai attended seven events totaling $37,410.
- Adachi traveled to nine events at a cost of $61,165.
- Ruluked spent $41,307 on various meetings and trainings
- Kyota’s four trips cost $12,482, and Babauta’s expenses reached $22,613.
- The SSA Board defended the spending, stating in a letter to Senator Mark Rudimch that the travel was essential to fulfilling their oversight duties. They emphasized that the events attended, including recurring conferences, had “critical relevance” to their mandate.
SSA further claimed the trips yielded tangible benefits, including improved investment portfolio oversight, increased liquidity, entry into artificial intelligence (AI) sectors, better positioning for long-term growth, and enhanced resilience against inflation through diversified assets.
Despite regulatory requirements mandating trip reports, SSA acknowledged that board members are “exempted from filing trip reports, at their discretion.”
An audited financial report also highlighted a rise in the overall SSA budget — from $1.4 million in 2021 to $1.9 million in 2022 — with much of the increase attributed to board budget.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about accountability, cost justification, and the lack of required documentation, prompting calls for closer oversight of SSA governance and spending practices.