Marika Kaloulia and his family have been selling vegetable and root crop produce at the Flagstaff Mini Market since the first market was established in the 1990s. The business has managed to put his two children in university.

Mr Kaloulia recalled times when he and his family used to walk up to MaxValu Supermarket to use its restrooms.

“I’m thankful to the Government for doing such a great project,” he said.

The additional facilities, he said, allows vendors to sell comfortably during unfavourable weather conditions and in turn improve the sale of their produce. The market was opened by Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar yesterday.

She said Flagstaff Mini Market was an addition to seven other markets that the Government had improved the facilities over the years.

“This includes Laqere, Namaka, Rakiraki market and we’ve just recently opened a shed created for Ba municipal market,” Ms Kumar said.

Ms Kumar said Suva City council had planned to build this mini market way back in 1994 but construction started last year in December 2021.

This after rigorous planning was done to ensure they provided a market which fit into the Suva City Council development plan.

She said the completion of the project echoes success to the ministry’s ambition of a decentralising Suva City.

“Two other mini market upgrades will be done around Suva, in Raiwaqa, Mead Road and Tamavua,” she said.

More Markets:

• Levuka Market at a cost of $1.7 million to see completion at the end of this year, n Savusavu market on the verge of groundbreaking with a budget of $1 million,
• Farmers Market in Nakasi, which has been granted $750,000 for construction,
• Ministry working on two projects for satellite markets for Dreketi and Taveuni, n Ministry has acquired land for Labasa Main Market which will be at Naiyaca Subdivision which Ms Kumar was excited about considering that Labasa is also an agricultural hub.

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