Market vendors at the Labasa Market are urging the Labasa Town Council to speed up maintenance work on the roof as they are facing leakages during the rainy season.

When the Fiji Sun news team visited the market yesterday, vendors were covering their goods, drying their tables and bringing out buckets of water.

Veteran vendor Amrit Prasad who has been a vendor for 37 years said it was the first time he experienced a roof leakage at the market.

“I am one of the longest serving vendors at the Labasa market, this is the first time an issue such as roof leakage has happened here,” he said.

“The Labasa Town Council was carrying out maintenance work on the roof, they did not repair the roof but did more damage to it. I am very angry with the services the town council has provided to us vendors, the issue has been raised to the market master and the Labasa Town Council, and I think they are not taking this issue seriously.”

Another vendor Byas Chand said vendors had been facing the issue for two weeks.

“This issue has been raised to the Labasa Town Council, they need to act on the issue as soon as possible,” he said. “I had to throw out some of the goods that I sell as the rain water had damaged it. The market master has been making rounds every day and we had also raised the issue with him.”

Labasa Market Master Shalendra Prasad said he was aware of the issue and maintenance work was carried out during favourable weather.

“The maintenance work on the roof could only be completed if the weather is favourable,” he said.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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