A RADICAL plan to jump the dateline into the future has passed into law in the progressive Pacific nation of Samoa.

Samoa will skip December 30 this year, taking it a day into the future to closer align itself with its biggest trading partners Australia and New Zealand, as well as Asia.

The plan was initially met with scepticism by many islanders, who labelled the shift "pointless", as well as many tourism operators who believed Samoa's claim as the last to see the sunset each day was commercially valuable.

The opposition Tautua Samoa Party too questioned whether it would lower the cost of living or increase exports, both needed to boost the country's flagging economy.

The nation's colourful prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, known for speaking his mind, called his critics "very stupid" and said "only an idiot" could not see the benefits of such a move.

This week the bill passed into law, with deputy opposition leader, Aeau Peniamina, telling the house his party called a last-minute meeting and decided to give its support because it's a change that "benefits the people".

The legislation will move Samoa west of the international dateline, where it once sat before an American trader convinced the nation to shift a century ago to closer align itself with the United States.

The change forces map makers to redraw the already wobbly line that runs down through the Pacific and leaves tiny neighbour Tokelau stranded in yesterday.

The shift will make it considerably easier for Samoa to do business with Australia, which has already started its working week while most islanders are attending Sunday church services.

It's not the only change Tuilaepa has enacted to build ties with Samoa's regional superpowers. He has already introduced daylight saving, as well as the controversial switch to driving on the left.

The country won't be stopping there either. Earlier this month the government announced it would seek to introduce a common Pacific currency to facilitate regional trade.

Originally published as Samoa's dateline shift passes into law