Caption: (From left) Nadi Town Council special administrator Robin Ali and Attorney-General and Acting Minister for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum officiates the ground breaking ceremony in Nadi. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI. For more photos, click here:- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.652922251411877.1073742007.131483256889115&type=3
By SALOTE QALUBAU
The Nadi Town Council in collaboration with the United Nations Women have formed a project to refurbish the Nadi municipal market through the Market for change Project (M4C).
Attorney-General and Acting Minister for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum officially launched the ground breaking ceremony for the market extension and refurbishment project on Thursday April 17.
“The honourable Prime Minister in his budget address last year announced a number of initiatives for a number of markets throughout Fiji,” Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“The Bainimarama government’s vision is to become what we call an enabler by way of giving the fundamental infrastructure that must remain available to all Fijians to ensure that they are able to achieve their best, ” the A-G added.
The government has injected a total of $804,000 solely for the purpose of refurbishing and revamping the new initiative aimed at assisting people at grass root level.
“The new extension will house approximately 300 stalls under a shelter mostly for women vendors who come as far as Sigatoka and the highlands bearing the harsh weather conditions in order to earn a living,” special administrator Robin Ali said.
With the establishment of the new extension women vendors will now no longer have to resort to sleeping on footpaths and concrete slabs as the incorporation of the new hostel will cater for an intake of 30 women vendors.
Mr.Ali added that due to Nadi being the obvious gateway for the rapid growing tourism industry the new boost has indeed arrived at an opportune time as stakeholders are now gearing towards restoring the beauty and reputation of Fiji’s renowned tourist capital.