MARKET vendors are questioning garbage collectors who are demanding up to $100 from them at the Yacht Club area when they go there to collect rubbish.
The vendors said at the end of each day, each officer from the Works and Law Enforcement divisions will go and collect $10 to $20 from each Vendor and they will collect up to more than $100 ]per day.
A market vendor claimed sometimes, the officers were drunk when they arrived to demand the payments.
“We don’t know if the officers are really from the works division or law enforcement division because sometimes we have officers who are wearing reflectors, and most of the times those ones who are wearing brown uniforms are the ones who usually come and collect fees from us.
‘We also don’t even know if it’s right for them to collect fees from us.
Another market vendor John Siale also said that, they would go as far as charging $20 per drum of rubbish.
Even if the drums were not filled with rubbish, we still have to pay for them, Mr Siale said.
Around five drums are placed in the area by Honiara City Council Division of Works for the vendors to dispose off their rubbish.
These are then emptied and collected at the end of each day.
The vendors claim the officers would not empty the drums if no money is paid to them.
“But what we know is that Honiara City Council pay them for this job.
“It is their responsibility to come and collect those rubbish after the drums are filled,” Mr Siale said.
Responding to the claims, city clerk Charles Kelly said people who go and demand money from market vendors at Port Douglas have no legal right to charge or collect fees from the vendors.
The clerk said only Revenue Collectors of the City Council have the right to collect money from the public and then they issue official receipts.
He called on the vendors to identify those collecting the fees and report them to the council.
By LYNNISSHA RUNA
