RAKIRAKI market will soon have a Citizen Market Charter that will be used as a tool for greater accountability and engagement between relevant stakeholders.
Local Government permanent secretary Taina Tagicakibau confirmed the development of the Citizen Market Charter while speaking to women market vendors on Thursday.
The vendors were part of a nine-week business training workshop organised by the United Nations Development Program in partnership with the Rakiraki Town Council and the Vaileka Market Association.
"As local governments are a major provider of municipal services, there is a need to have some basic service standards," said Mrs Tagicakibau.
"I note that one learning session introduced the need to strengthen their engagement with local government to promote greater accountability of services provided by the local government as in this case the municipal market.
"The (UN) Millennium market project Pacific Centre will next week commence a pilot process for the development of Citizen's Market Charter through a series of consultations with and between the Rakiraki Town Council, the vendors association and its membership, the general consumers and citizens of Rakiraki to identify some areas in the delivery of market services as reference point for the development of market service standards."
She said a Citizen Market Charter for Rakiraki would be developed over six months.
"(The Citizen Market Charter) will provide all market stakeholders in Rakiraki with a tool for greater accountability and engagement between the supplier of the services, the town council and on the demand side the market vendors and consumers as users of the municipal market."
Vaileka Market Association president Satish Prakash welcomed the move to have a Citizen Market Charter in place for Rakiraki market.