Council warns market vendors over waste as farmers raise cleanliness concerns

Suva City Council is increasing cleaning and waste enforcement at the Suva Municipal Market after farmers raised concerns about overflowing rubbish bins, unpleasant smells and rubbish being dumped into potholes near their selling areas.

The concerns were raised in a Facebook post this week, with farmers also questioning the hygiene and services provided at the market despite paying wholesale and parking fees.

Council Chairman and Acting CEO Tevita Boseiwaqa said Council was aware of the concerns, particularly during the early morning wholesale period, and the affected area had been cleaned early yesterday with the skip bin removed.

He said Council cleaners work from 6pm to 3am but have to wait until the last vendor finishes trading before they can fully clean the area.

“Most vendors finish around 8pm or 9pm,” he said.

Mr Boseiwaqa said Council was committed to maintaining a clean market, but vendors also had a responsibility to keep their trading areas clean.

Council provides skip bins and regular cleaning, with additional cleaners deployed during busy periods.

He said vehicles are also restricted from driving through the market during trading and cleaning periods to accommodate vendors and allow them to trade safely.

The message under the Litter Amendment Act 2026 was clear that everyone had a responsibility to dispose of waste properly,  he said.

The fixed litter penalty is now $200, and Council will enforce the law where necessary.

He said Council had cleared the rubbish from the potholes and would fill them this week to improve access for farmers and customers.

“Rubbish must not be used to fill potholes or dumped in public areas,” he said.

Mr Boseiwaqa said the strengthened litter laws gave Council a stronger enforcement framework and action would be taken against those responsible.

Farmers had also questioned what their wholesale and parking fees covered.

Mr Boseiwaqa said the wholesale fee was $3.45 from 4am to 8am, while parking after 6am was $3.45 per hour.

He said the charges were prescribed under the Council’s Market By-laws and were not arbitrary fees.

The fees support market operations, including security, trading areas, toilets, waste facilities and cleaning services.

However, Mr Boseiwaqa said paying market fees did not remove a vendor’s responsibility to keep their trading area clean, as the law applied to everyone.

As an immediate response, Council is increasing cleaners during peak periods and strengthening waste enforcement at the market.

Mr Boseiwaqa said Council would continue to support farmers and vendors but would also be firm in ensuring that littering was not tolerated.

“Keeping the market clean is a shared responsibility, and littering will not be tolerated,” he said.