A new petrol station at Tuanaimato which the Samoa Government purchased for SAT$3 million will have its official opening early next month.

The Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Finance, Saoleititi Maeva Betham-Vaai confirmed the multimillion-tala asset which includes the petrol station, land as well as a building.

She said further details about the Government-funded project will be disclosed in a press release that will be issued on the day of the petrol station's official opening. 

Located opposite the Samoa Fire Emergency Service and Authority (S.F.E.S.A.) at Tuanaimato, the construction of the service station was completed in 2022 and was owned by a Chinese businessman. 

The businessman and owner of the Coin Save retail outlet, Ben Weng previously told the Samoa Observer they were negotiating with various parties on the land and he plans to find a buyer for the petrol station. It is located on a one-acre land that also has a tank shelter, and office building and is not fenced off. 

It is understood the Government plans to utilise the facility to refuel government-owned vehicles which it believes will be convenient for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October next year.  

The Savali newspaper reported a Cabinet Development Committee site visit in August this year to the petrol station and revealed plans to use a half acre of the land for a transport sector base. 

In 2020 the former administration announced a funding allocation of SAT$1 million to pay for the construction of a government-owned petrol station at Tuanaimato in order for its petrol tanker at Pesega to be relocated. 

In the past years, the nation's government-owned vehicle fleet had been using the Pesega petrol station on a rental basis and also contracted the Toleafoa petrol station for refuelling.