Market vendors with the guests at the official opening of the Labasa Market extension yesterday. Photo: siteri taleitaki
By LOSIRENE CHAND and
SITERI TALEITAKI
The New Market Extension Project for Empowering Women was officially opened yesterday.
The Labasa Town Council has invested $90,000 towards this project.
Commissioner Northern Lieutenant-Colonel Ilai Moceica said the project was a milestone achievement for the council.
He said this was a project that addressed the plight of the vendors, especially women who are being empowered in their role as business entrepreneurs.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moceica said the new extension would accommodate provisions for some 110 stall spaces and also cater for juice sellers.
“Days have gone when our mothers and sisters would toil under the hot sun and rain to sell their produce,” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moceica said that on any given day the women market vendors made up almost 70 percent of the market vendor population for any market.
“They feed both the rural and the urban centres and those of us who work in the formal sector we buy our fresh fruits, vegetables and root crops from them,” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moceica said the extension to the market building towards the Labasa River end would also follow soon.”
More development plans
Further developments are expected to take place around the Labasa Market area.
Special Administrator Labasa/ Savusavu Vijay Chand said they are looking into venturing into more projects.
“This project has been fully funded by the Council and is expected to generate revenue in return,” he said.
“The project was initiated following a survey revealing a significant demand for vendors to trade within the market areas.”
Mr Chand said at this moment they are continuing a negotiation with land owners to get land for the council.
“The council intends to further invest into a proper fish market and frozen sea food fish areas of trading for vendors,” he said.
“We are negotiating for land with relevant authorities including the Ministry of Lands and once we acquire land for the council, further developments are expected to take place.”
Mr Chand said the market stalls caters for the growing number of market vendors which would provide more investments to the agricultural market.