Some market masters have been bribed with food and grog by vendors, says Local Government Minister Premila Kumar.
She revealed this during a recent forum with business owners in Korovou, Tailevu.
She said there had been numerous complaints on the issue before the special administrators.
“We have come across market vendors who get favours from market masters,” Mrs Kumar said.
“They were giving food and grog, so this is corruption at a smaller scale. Some gave bundles of dalo, this is how the market masters align themselves with only certain vendors. As a result, some vendors get 30 stalls and some have 15 stalls.”
She said they were looking at recruiting the right people to take up the post of market masters.
“Why the markets are like this? Simply because the market masters do not have the right skills.
“They don’t have the skills to be able to handle disputes, read, write and understand what the vendors are saying.
“We need more educated and skilled people to become market masters. They should know their market vendors, we will change market master to market manager.”
