Simione Tuvuki 
DPM & Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad visits vendors at Dreketi Market.
Temporary stalls will be constructed at the Dreketi Market.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, confirmed this during his visit to the District of Dreketi in Vanua Levu yesterday.
Professor Prasad says the state of the market has deteriorated over the past years, and these temporary stalls will meet the vendors’ plea to improve the standard of the facility.
“The farmers there, especially women who come and sell their products are finding that when it rains they do not have any facilities … things get wet, there are no toilet facilities.”
He says they will also provide a water tank and restrooms for the vendors.
Professor Prasad says the Ministry of Finance has allocated a budget for the temporary stalls, which will be carried out in the next three months.
He says this is an immediate development that must be undertaken by the government.
The market serves a population of about 7000 people in the District of Dreketi, and it was severely affected by Tropical Cyclones Winston and Yasa.
It has been in this deteriorated state ever since and has worsened over the years.
The Ministry of Finance will undertake this development, in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, in the next three months.
