THE Honiara City Council (HCC) has failed to shut-down illegal markets by the lapse of the deadline it had given and illegal markets remain operational.
Mayor Eddie Siapu last week warned vendors operating in illegal market venues within the Honiara City Council jurisdiction last week that January 31 was the deadline for them to relocate to authourised market outlets in the city.
The warning came after HCC issued a number of notices advising vendors to move out from the Fishing Village Market and other illegal market outlets in Honiara such as the Maromaro Market and White River 01 Bus Stop markets and if vendors failed to comply, these markets will be demolished by its ‘tough’ law enforcement officers.
But despite the lapse of the deadline, vendors continue to use these illegal market outlets with Mayor Siapu now saying that HCC had decided to dialogue with vendors through peaceful means, so as not to cause any disagreements with them and the owners of the illegal markets.
The Acting Deputy City Clerk, Vincent Kohata, led an HCC team on 30 January to initiate the dialogue with vendors and the illegal market owners.
Mayor Siapu said he wanted to do things in an orderly manner and that is through dialogue so as to come up with a common understanding.
He said from their meeting on Monday 30 January, they agreed to meet again on 6 February for further discussions.
By FOLLET JOHN
Solomon Star, Newsroom
