Public servants took to the streets of Apia on Saturday within the vicinity of their offices as part of a Government initiative to clean up the Samoan capital.

Samoans working for various Government Ministries and agencies were seen around Apia armed with spades and brooms and getting to work to remove litter.

All the different Government Ministries organised their own staff to participate in the city-wide program, in a bid to support preparations for this month's 60th Independence celebration with the official program expected to start coming Monday.

Many of the bureaucrats were in high spirits as they went about their chores around various Government offices while keeping in mind the Samoa Tourism Authority's slogan "Beautiful Samoa".

It is hoped that the clean-up initiative by the public servants will lead to positive reviews of Samoa by visiting tourists which the Government hopes will boost the economy as more international visitors come to Samoa. 

Some of the areas targeted in the clean-up campaign by the public servants on Saturday included the site of the Savalalo market where a new market funded by the New Zealand Government will be constructed.

The last major clean-up of Apia around the waterfront area was in September last year to mark International Coastal Clean-up Day, which was led by the Samoa Recycling and Waste Management Association (S.R.W.M.A.) and its various partners.