Lae market makes K175,000 for city council

By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Lae Main Market has so far made more than K175,000 for the city council since a new management took over the market last month.
Market supervisor Gou Sine Tabaray told The National yesterday that as of June 23, management had deposited K175,811.70 into the Lae City Council’s account.
Tabaray said it was their one month in office but they have made more than K100,000 already for the municipal authority.
He said such amount was not made by the former management in the last four years.
“We have been making an average of K5,000 daily,” he said.
“We are charging vendors with large bags of food K5 each and the ones with smaller bags and bilums around K3 each.”
Tabaray said money they collected came from food bags, toilet fees and spot fines.
The new management was appointed to manage the facility following a recommendation made in a recent audit report conducted into the affairs of the council by the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs.
Tabaray said between 200 to 300 vendors use the market on a daily basis to sell their products with vendors coming from the Highlands and other parts of Mamose.
“Unlike before, the market is now safe to use,” he said.
“We have our officers in all locations to help both buyers and sellers.
“You will identify them by their safety vests and identification cards.
“Do not pay spot fines to people who do not correctly identify themselves as market officials.”
Tabaray said they are tightening the leaks in revenue generated from the market to ensure all fees collected are rightly remitted to the council and does not end up in the pockets of individuals.
He said they are slowly working towards improving the market’s conditions to make it one of the best in the country.
Lae MP John Rosso said it was good news for Lae residents as the market – one of the council’s flagship properties – has started generating revenue after four years of unprofitable operations.