A notice on a price list was issued in early January for food sold at markets using scales in Port Vila.

The notice is a trial for market food prices and will run until February.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Price Monitoring & Consumer Affairs, Lizzie Taura Jovinmal, told VBTC News that the notice will end on 15 February.

“We have a price list and committee in place, so we are working with them to come up with a price list from 2023 until now, and now we see this list and we continue to maintain it. Now in 2024, we put out this notification for 25 days, and if anybody has any questions about the price list that is in place, they can ask.”

VBTC News spoke with market vendor Jenny Felix, who said the use of scales is good.

“Scale is good, it makes things fair.”

Mrs Jovinmal said the use of scales started in markets after the Port Vila earthquake.

“In Efate areas such as before Prima Bridge and before Renatpao Bridge, and most of the organised markets, they are expected to use scales and have the price list in place, and we did trainings for vendors and organised markets.”

Another market vendor, Caroline Esron, said she wants scale use to be applied at all markets.

“All markets must use scale. Why? Because people going to Manples Market are expensive, and when they come to other markets they are cheap, so all must use scale.”

VBTC News received information from Namburu and Manples markets stating that although the scale notice is in place, it is not being used because vendors are not familiar with it and want more training.