In a bid for town councils to develop their market facilities to benefit market vendors in Ba, Lautoka and Labasa, United Nations Women has given $871, 866.00 towards this development.
The UN Women Pacific Office representative Aleta Miller presented the cheque to Minister for Local Government, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure and Transport Parveen Kumar in Suva yesterday.
Out of this $871,866, $210,875 will be given to Labasa Town Council, $237,201 will be given to Lautoka Town Council and $26,500 will be given to Ba Town Council.
Mr Kumar said: “The partnership between the Ministry for Local Government, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure and Transport and UN Women has been there for long time.
“The ministry provides funds to the municipalities through challenge fund to improve the market facilities. But, here we have a partner who has come on board to support our women in particular throughout the country.”
Mr Kumar thanked the UN Women for their partnership with the ministry and hoped that this partnership will continue.
UN Women representative Aleta Miller said women market vendors are reverberant and vital part of Fijian economy.
“Market places are central place for livelihood for many Fijian households and strong contributors to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” she said.
Ms Miller said Ba, Lautoka and Labasa are among the ten markets that UN women market for change project is working with in Fiji with the Ministry for Local Government, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure and Transport.
“We will continue to work with ministry with the other seven markets to create and inclusive safe space for market vendor and market customers alike,” Ms Miller said.
The chief executive officers of Ba, Lautoka and Labasa town council expressed their gratitude towards UN Women for their support.
Ba Town Council CEO Dip Narayan said: “I am really happy and the money we have received will be used for improvement of the Ba market.”
He said the Ba Town Council will be making concert pavement and making table and benches for vendors selling outside the Ba market.
“There are more than 350 market vendors within Ba and more this project will benefit them,” he said.
Lautoka Town Council CEO Jone Nakauvadra said: “I am very excited towards this donation and I really thankful to UN Women for their support.”
He said about 400 market women vendors will benefit from this help.
“We are extending our market and we will build the benches and table around the corridor for market vendors who sell outside,” he said.
The cheque that has been received by the municipalities is only the first phase. There will be a second and third phase. The information will reveal later by ministry on how much each municipality will receive.