BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
MARKET Vendors are continuing to defy provincial orders not to sell their products at the KHY area in Gizo, locally known as the Buni area.
Vendors continue to crowd the area since the stop notice was issued last week.
A vendor spoken to said most vendors have decided to sell their products at the Buni area because of two reasons.
Their first being, the Buni area attracted many customers and second reason is that, vendors pay less market fee and sometimes there is no market fee at all.
“Most of us found that we get lots of customers when selling our products at the Buni area compared to when we sell at the Gizo Market – meaning we get more money to help our families,” the vendor said.
In his public announcement last week, Acting Chairperson of WPDC, Patrict Toiraena said selling of fish, cooked food and betel nut is prohibited at the area.
He said fish vendors so as those selling cooked food and betel nut must go either to the Gizo main market or Banana Valley to sell their products.
GIZO Market Manager Moffat Maeta shared similar sentiment saying the province has provided market facilities and that market vendors must use authorized market places such as the Gizo and Banana Valley Market Facilities to sell their products.
He said the closer of KHY area as a market is good news as the decision will finally encourage vendors to use the Gizo and Banana Valley Markets.
“I think if the KHY area is fenced for any further development, then our market vendors will come back to their right places for market, that is Gizo market and Banana Valley Market,” Maeta said.
He said there is no reason to protest against the province’s decision as the province has already provided the venues for vendors to sell their products.
This paper understands that two attempts have been made to stop vendors from selling at the Buni area.
The area was sealed by barbed wire during the first attempt, however the barbwire was not able to scare off vendors.
