Municipal markets around the country will now be open from 6am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday.
This has been announced by the Minister of Local Government, Premila Kumar who says that because of COVID-19, market opening hours were changed to observe curfew hours and social distancing.
Kumar says the opening of markets at 8am allowed market vendors who lived far away, to observe the curfew hours and the long distance travelled to sell their produce.
She says now most vendors have started bringing their produce to the market on Thursday to also sell on Friday and Saturday and when they do that, it necessitates the opening of markets to change from 8am to 6am on Friday and Saturday.
Kumar added that whilst many Fijians would benefit from the change in the market hours, it still allowed for compliance to curfew hours under the COVID 19 provisions.
She says the change in market hours still allows for compliance to physical distancing under the COVID-19 provisions and it’s extremely important that everyone adheres to it.
Kumar says there are now more marketing options with decentralised markets in every Municipal Councils around the country.
