Lots of land are now being allocated numbers under the street address and housing project, and once completed, this would be uploaded on Google Maps, said the chief executive officer of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure Fui Tupai Simanu.

MWTI is working with the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology.

Fui confirmed that the project is not on hold and they were actively progressing, as it is being implemented in carefully planned phases.

The First Phase of the project includes the town area from Moataa in the East to Mulinuu in the West, Lepea/Alamagoto to the South and Motootua/Malifa/Faatoia in the South West. Addresses and GPS location points for land lots are now available on Google Maps for these areas. Meanwhile, work is continuing on the installation of physical signage.

The Second Phase includes the Faleata Area starting from Lepea to Vaitele in the East, Nuu/Tafaigata/Siusega in the South East, Alafua/Sinamoga/Moamoa in the South West.  

“This is the first initiative of its kind in Samoa; it requires a careful and tailored approach. One of the key factors influencing the pace of implementing this initiative is our unique land tenure system-particularly the significance of customary land and the multiple households under one chief," said Fui. 

"We are committed to ensuring that the project respects these cultural values while introducing a modern addressing system."

The importance of this project for Samoa is to allocate not only street names but also addresses to residents, as it supports and correlates with many developments and services that can be offered by the government. 

Finding the correct address in any country is becoming more significant, given the mobility of services; pinpointing the right destination on time is an important element in saving a life or protecting a life. Given the problems that we face when searching for a family or business in a particular area, the need for a proper registry of streets and residential addresses will assist not only in solving this problem but also improve the services that the government offers. 

By also having access to technology through the Global Positioning System (GPS) has made it easy and convenient for visitors and citizens alike to identify their destinations in other countries. This would be ideal for tourists holidaying in Samoa to find their way around Samoa using GPS and the street and house addresses.