Women market vendors complain of stolen produce

They needed the rest at times because they travelled from places like Wainibuka, Naitasiri and Ra. Vinaina Nokelevu Lautoka City Council assistant market master

Most women vendors at the Lautoka Market are disappointed and have registered their complaints to authorities about the continuous theft of their produce. The issue was raised by the Lautoka City Council assistant market master, Vinaina Nokelevu, in an interview with the Fiji Sun.

She said they were acting on the complaints.

She said the thefts occurred when the women would go to their dormitory for a short rest.

She said, “They needed the rest at times because they travelled from places like Wainibuka, Naitasiri and Ra,” Ms Nokelevu said.

The dormitory, which is based at the Lautoka Sugar City Mall, was provided by the UN Women.

“They leave their stuff at the market and then they go and sleep and when they come around again most of the produce they brought from the villages are missing,” she said.

“When they come from the villages they spend a lot of money to transport their goods to Lautoka.

“The problem they face is the poor security at the market because most of the time when their goods are there, nobody will look after or watch it.” She said there were at least 15 women from Wainibuka, five from Naitasiri and about 25 from Ra who shared the dormitory containing 60 beds, three toilets and bathrooms and a laundry area where they paid $2 a night.