No progress on Raiwaqa Market for 11 years but SCC says tender to be finalised soon

For 11 years, vendors from the old Raiwaqa Market have waited for promised renovations, but many say they are still in the dark, with no updates from the Suva City Council.

However, SCC Chair Tevita Boseiwaqa has confirmed to fijivillage News that a tender will be finalised in two weeks.

One of those vendors, Kelevi Vatubuli from Rewa, says that he was moved from the old Raiwaqa Market over a decade ago when it was closed for planned redevelopment.

Vatubuli says he and other vendors were relocated to a temporary market, with assurances from the previous government that the old market would be renovated soon.

Now, more than a decade later, Vatubuli says the conditions at the temporary site are deteriorating, and vendors are frustrated.

He says dust from the ground goes onto their produce, and the roof leaks when it rains.

SCC Chair Boseiwaqa confirmed that the Council still needs to assess engineering reports on the current Raiwaqa Market site before deciding whether to move the vendors back to the old location.

He adds that the actual development is expected to begin at the end of this year.

When asked who had secured the tender, Boseiwaqa declined to reveal the name of the developer, stating that talks are still ongoing.