The new Savusavu Market will give an opportunity to 184 vegetable vendors to sell their produce from a modern facility, with capacity and space for new vendors and will provide services to about 60,000 of Cakaudrove, yachts, tourists and hoteliers.
This has been highlighted by the Minister for Local Government, Premila Kumar during the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Savusavu Market this morning.
Kumar says the proposed market will be a two-storey building where the ground level will house the market vendors, coffee shops, an information booth, a handicraft centre, and kiosks and Level 1 will have SME vendors, kiosks and a conference room.
She says consideration has also been given to having appropriate space to cater to more vendors and kiosk owners in the future and the market will also have a user-friendly elevator for physically challenged vendors and users of the premises.
The Minister says this is a testament to the fact that the Fijian Government will not leave any Fijian behind, no matter what.
Kumar says the new market will also have a proper public convenience for the market vendors as well as the public and in addition, the existing Council office will be renovated to have a sophisticated look.
The Minister says the market will be a business hub for the small-medium operators that will maximise economic activity within the market while the market vendors will have an opportunity to provide quality fruits and vegetables at a competitive price.
She says competitive prices and quality vegetables would mean that more customers will buy from these vendors. Kumar confirms the Fijian Government is supporting the Savusavu Market project and a sum of $169,003 was allocated in the 2021-2022 budget for the design and documentation works of the market and the Council has allocated $1 million for the commencement of the construction works of the Municipal Market.
She has also acknowledged the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as they have also contributed a sum of $700,000 through the Markets for Change Programme towards market infrastructure and human development by providing capacity-building training for the market vendors.
Kumar says a number of market projects have been completed by the municipal councils across Fiji with about 12 municipal and mini markets have been funded by the Fijian Government with an investment of $23.6 million.
She also says following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fijian Government has provided financial relief to the market vendors through market stall fee waiver and will continue to do so in this financial year and for the 2022-2023 financial year, $5,243,236 million has been allocated to support 12,880 vendors in the 13 Municipalities.
The Minister adds through this initiative, the Fijian Government is supporting the market vendors to ensure they are able to bounce back considering the losses incurred by them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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