Says too much foot-dragging on necessary repairs
Clerk of Markets Schulder Griffith has told Stabroek Business that he is concerned that tardiness in effecting critical repairs to the Bourda Market could result in the dangerous deterioration of the facility.
Stallholders in the municipal market have been up in arms over what they say are periodic increases in stall rents which increases are not attended by a corresponding provision of services. Stallholders with whom this newspaper spoke said that problems associated with a leaking roof and a defective eastern wall have plagued the market for several years and that these defects had remained unattended to despite representation to the municipality. They said that recently they had again been informed that rent increases were imminent but that nothing had been said to them about remedying the defects.
Griffith, whose department is responsible for the administration of the city’s municipal markets confirmed that rent increases were likely to come into effect later this month. He said that he was “fully supportive” of the concerns expressed by the vendors since, according to him, it has been taking far too long for the needed repairs to be effected. Griffith, who told Stabroek Business that he believed that revenue generated from the municipal markets was sufficient to carry out “basic maintenance” said that his department continued to budget for necessary repairs but that it had no control over the administering of funds. He said that during the course of giving evidence at the recently
completed City Hall Commission of Enquiry he had told Commission Chairman Keith Burrowes that he was concerned that chronic neglect was leading to Bourda Market becoming “another Kitty Market,” that is, falling into a condition of complete disrepair.
More than 2500 vendors ply their trade inside the market and on the famous Bourda Green. Rentals range from around $2,000 per month on the Green to between $3,000 and $5,000 per stall inside the market. Vendors selling groceries currently pay $50 per square foot inside the market while vendors offering dry goods pay $75 per square foot. Vendors selling jewellery pay $90 per square foot.
Griffith told Stabroek Business that this month’s increases will see all vendors paying $105 per square foot but that those vendors who are required to pay the largest increases will be allowed a longer period of time to make their payments.
Meanwhile, Griffith is advocating the creation of a special fund controlled directly by the office administering the markets to effect routine and emergency repairs to the facility. He said that a similar fund had been put in place for the Stabroek Market, explaining that the computation of stall rents would have to take this measure into account.
Griffith told Stabroek Business that his department was seeking to “work with the vendors” in various ways to ensure that their best interests were served. He said that consideration was currently being given to a request made to him by vendors that the closing hours for the market be extended from 16:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs pointing out that while the municipal laws made no provision for an extension of the opening hours at this time, such a facility may be granted subject to the discretion of his department.