Vendor Happy With Renewed Lease
Tabui praises Government for initiative to help vendors like her.
Akeneta Tabui, whose lease was renewed for another two years, thanked the Fijian Government for providing a proper shelter and space to sell her fruits and vegetables.
The Nabalisere, Saivou, Ra native has been living at her husband’s village in Volivoli, Nadroga, for the past 10 years.
Ms Tabui, 46, is one of 23 Fijians, from Sovi Bay to Nadi, who received renewed lease agreements on Wednesday under the Fijian Government’s standard roadside stalls initiative.
“I sincerely thank the ministry for renewing my agreement. I’ve been living here for almost 10 years and selling along the road for almost two years after I left my previous job at a restaurant,” she said.
“We have more customers and we even get tourists stopping by. Some of the tourists just come and admire the stall.”
The mother of five sells vegetables and fruits, which she harvests from their family farm in Volivoli. “I like this stall, it is close to me and I am happy with the stall compared to the ones we built ourselves. I sell six days a week and the money I earn helps send my children to school and our church obligations,” she said.
Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Faiyaz Koya said the stall initiative, gave Fijians the means to sell fresh produce outside non-municipal boundaries and rural settlements. “Roadside vending in Fiji has long played a crucial role as a source of jobs, revenue and value addition to the local economy – providing a flexible link in the economic supply chains,” Mr Koya said.
The standardised roadside stalls are permanent fixtures that contribute to connecting subsistence farmers to commuters along the Queen’s Highway, while ensuring safe and hygiene storefronts.