Street Dwellers Selling Food Vouchers to Market Vendors
‘Such assistance should be given to low income earning families who are more deserving of the assistance’
Lautoka Market Vendors Association president Filomena O’neil says rural women vendors were targeted by street dwellers selling their food vouchers.
This was heard during the National Budget consultation at the Lautoka City Council Chambers on Wednesday
“Why I’m raising this is because the Lautoka Market is attached to the bus stand and that is where they usually sleep,”she said.
“If there is an assessment done, you will learn that these homeless people are collecting land lease, they are collecting welfare benefits.
“When they receive their food voucher they come and sell it to the vendors. They target women who come in from the rural areas,” Ms O’neil said.
“Such assistance should be given to low income earning families who are more deserving of the assistance.
“If the Government will continue giving it to them, they will become lazy.”
She also raised the issue of middlemen owning multiple market stalls and selling produce.
The association is not happy that these so-called millionaires sit at the market, owning more than one stall when there are people in the informal sectors who are in need and come in and use the stalls to earn their daily living.
“If they cannot be removed then a policy can be enacted by the council giving it powers to remove these middlemen who also have businesses running outside the market. They have rental cars, they have shops in other towns.” Minister for Finance Biman Prasad said the consultation had noted all issues raised, however he would leave it to the Ministry of Local Government to devise a solution it could work towards.