Port Vila Municipal implements table fee for market vendors

The Port Vila Municipal Council has placed a table fee for market vendors at a price of VT400 per day.

Town Clerk, Peter Sakita said the price is reasonable for the vendors and the issue rests solely with transport operators.

“COVID is actually not affecting the mamas, of course in some ways, VT400 is a very reasonable price comparing to what they are collecting every day, it’s the transport they should be arguing and not the market table price.”

“I feel that there should be more consultation with the transport operators, before they use to sleep at the market and save their money from moving back and forward but now, we encourage them to go back.”

“There are other social issues when they gather at the market and stay there for a week, we’ve had the chiefs writing to us saying that we should be sending them back so the council has endorsed for the mamas to go back, I think the main issue is the transport especially the Land Transport Board.”

Public Land Transport Authority CEO Reginald Tabi stated that the prices set by the transport operators are outdated and changes are in the pipeline.

“The prices that are being charged by the operators I think that is the prices they are using now that is the one that was set-up by the former Land Transport Association which was called Port Vila Efate Land Transport Association,” he said.

The Port Vila Municipal Council area has a total of 200 tables.