A Lautoka market vendor has asked Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to reconsider the plan to extend the Lautoka Market which was put on hold due to COVID-19 as vendors are fighting over space in the market everyday.
She raised issues they faced during the budget consultation at the Sugar City Mall in Lautoka.
The woman said she was speaking on behalf of Lautoka market vendors.
She told Sayed-Khaiyum that climate change has taken its effect as they can feel the tremendous heat and this means their produce goes bad very easily.
The market vendor also says the ice at the fish market melts easily.
She also says the market is directly attached to the bus stand and there are homeless people using the bus stand as their home.
The woman adds they deserve a clean and healthy selling environment as the homeless people urinate and pollute the area.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the woman has made very good points but ideally it would be nice to say that they could give them an air conditioned market.
He adds another lady was complaining about the cost of the market fees but if people want something better, the costs have to be adjusted as well.
The Minister for Economy says one of the things the municipal council can look at is using renewable energy.
He adds there may be a lot of roof space where they could place solar panels and maybe that could be used for fans or other things but that would happen in an ideal situation.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will deliver the revised National Budget on the 24th of this month.
