4 May 2011

Samoa considers switching time zones

8:08 pm on 4 May 2011

Samoa is reportedly considering switching time zones so it falls to the west of the International Date Line, bringing the country's clocks closer to major trading partners in Australasia.

At present, Samoa sits to the east of the Date Line - which runs through the middle of the Pacific - meaning that it is 11 hours behind GMT and one of the last places to see out the day, AFP reports.

The time difference puts it 21 hours behind eastern Australia and 23 behind New Zealand, two of its biggest trading partners, which are also home to the large expatriate Samoan communities.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said his government had studied the implications of switching time zones and, while no decision had yet been made, early indications were favourable.

Mr Tuilaepa has already introduced changes to bring Samoa into line with Australia and New Zealand, enacting a law in 2009 that meant cars switched to driving on the left-hand side of the road, rather than the right.

He said at the time that the change make it easier for the 170,000 Samoans living in Australia and New Zealand to send used cars back home to their relatives.

Samoa was west of the Date Line, but moved east in 1892 to be closer to US time.

Any change in Samoa would not affect American Samoa, which is an unincorporated US territory independent of Apia.